Cold Thunder
by Eggbert 3000
Summary: What if Zuko was different? What if he wasn't a hot headed and stubborn firebender with a major complex? What if.. AU
1. Azula, Childhood

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter 1: **Azula, Childhood

_Acceptance is much harder than rejection._

Azula was a firebending prodigy, and the apple of her father's eye. She could firebend with the best of them, and she was indeed the _best_. Or, at least she thought herself so. Even with all her viciousness, cunning, and power, she still did not know what to make of her older brother. She was wary of him. He was a constant figure in her life, though somewhat aloof and mysterious, and always in the background somewhere. He seemed content outside of the limelight, and she was content inside of it. She realized this early in her childhood, and the one-sided rivalry between them vanished quickly, leaving behind an awkward distance.

Zuko's actions were eternally confusing to her young and cruel self. She often pondered them during her free time, and she noticed several things. When she had a particularly rough lesson, he would always be there with a hand on her head and a familiar silence. When she lashed out at others in temper, she would find herself dunked in the palace pond. When she struggled, rarely, with something, he would be there watching, quietly supportive. When she cursed at him in jealousy of his mother's love, he stared at her with his golden eyes and took it without complaint. That was what she hated the most. His molten, amber eyes and his cold, cold gaze.

She had heard whispers around the palace, many about herself and Zuko. The guards and the nobles gossiped amongst themselves, about how her brother spent too much time with decrepit Uncle Iroh, about how he never displayed much firebending talent, about his skills with a blade and a fist, about his silent solitary nature, about how she was so much better than him... She always pranked the nobles mercilessly after, or beat up the guards, but she never knew why she did so. Azula didn't question herself.

As the years passed, Zuko grew, and she did as well. She took to her father's teachings like a bee to sweet, poisoned honey, and her heart grew hard from disuse. She distanced herself from the "failure prince" and fought with flames of wrath, as her brother watched from afar. He was still a part of her routine, a soothing, calm warmth in her raging life. But even this went away, when one day Ursa disappeared, Fire Lord Azulon died, and their father took the throne. Azula herself was ecstatic and viciously pleased with her new, coveted position, though in her triumph she still noticed the absence of her brother. She found him by the pond, with a bowed head and clenched hands, crackling energy at his closed fingertips.

"Zuzu," she said tauntingly. "Why aren't you at the festivities? Surely you are pleased with this turn of events. Or has mummy's betrayal left you emotionally damaged?"

Characteristically, he did not reply, and her face twisted into an angry scowl when he failed to pay attention to her. "Listen when I'm speaking to you!" she snarled, clamping a clawed hand on his shoulder. But when she touched him, she was badly shocked and snatched her hand back, feeling it sting and tingle. He turned around then, and for the first time, she glimpsed a dark, spiraling resentment in his eyes. Just as suddenly, he walked off, his red and gold robes rippling like wildfire behind him.

The next she saw him was at a strategy meeting in the war chamber. She had managed to weedle a seat out of her father, the fire lord, this time, and Zuko had been included as an after thought. He stood tall and firm, and his eyes were shadowed as he sat next to her at the end of the long table. During the meeting, Azula made a comment about the tactics without watching herself, and the insulted silence that followed was condemning. For the first time in her life, Azula feared something other than her brother.

"..Who said that?" spoke the silhouette behind the blinds, with controlled fury. Azula's eyes widened in dread, and her gaze flickered to Zuko, who wasn't looking at her. When he spoke, his voice cracking from puberty and much like her own, she froze in disbelief.

"I did," he said, with an unruffled air. Angry whispers broke out at this, and the room's temperature skyrocketed from the fiery tension.

"You insult our war effort, you insult me," Fire Lord Ozai said harshly. "You have thus insulted me, in my own chamber, and in my own presence." Zuko did not answer, as characteristic of him, and their father grew angrier.

"For this disrespect, I challenge you to an Agni Kai," the ruler announced, and sealed his son's fate. Azula could only watch, with a jarring numbness and a growing sense of bitter relief. When the ceremonial, deadly duel began, she watched from the sidelines as something festered in her chest and made her feel sick. Her brother had not fought back, and still he had been mercilessly injured and defeated. She stared with slight revulsion as her father burned half of his face and banished him from the Fire Nation, leaving him stranded without honor or status. Nothing to help him but a ship, and no one to aid him but Iroh and a single crew.

Zuko the Exiled Prince became the scandal of the year, but the firebending prodigy and princess could not bring herself to care. Like all circumstances and events in her life, she got over it and carried on with her busy life, as if it didn't affect her in the slightest. She was immune and immovable. Or so she thought.


	2. The Agni Kai

**A/N:** I own nothing. Here's a quick chapter two, dedicated to my three reviewers. Thank you!

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter 2: **The Agni Kai

_The definition of greatness is not always clear._

When Iroh first heard about it, he was sure his heart stopped, skipped a beat, and flopped dead in his cavernous stomach. His favorite nephew had almost casually entered his chambers, which was more or less routine, and dropped this firebomb on his settled lap. The old firebending master froze in shock, wondering if his ears were deceiving him, his Pai Sho piece clattering to the floor as it slipped from his weathered fingers. Zuko simply stood there, his stance balanced and rigid, watching his uncle fight off a pseudo heartattack with calm golden eyes. Though he was frowning too, his own thoughts and feelings in tumult.

"Father has challenged me to an Agni Kai," the prince had said, his voice even and resigned. Iroh tried to wrap his head around it, and he took a steadying sip of jasmine tea.

"Prince Zuko," he began, shuddering. "What... did you say?"

"Father has challenged me to an Agni Kai," Zuko repeated as he knelt down to the same eyelevel as his uncle. "For insulting him in the war chamber."

Iroh started. His nephew was always borderline polite, when he chose to speak at all. "You?"

"It was Azula," he said, looking away. "She's the one that did it, but.." Iroh understood immediately, and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He was proud of his nephew's compassion, even if it was misplaced, or you had to squint hard to see it. But still, there were more pressing matters at hand. Like the Agni Kai. Against his own son! The old general's inner fire roared in anger, and his grief for Lu Ten came back in searing waves.

"To think my brother would resort to something so drastic for something so little," But even as he said it, he knew. His brother was just that kind of person, caught up in self-importance and triumph, possessed entirely by power. Fire warmed, lived, and cleansed, but it also consumed and destroyed. Ozai had been consumed long ago by its whispering temptations, and Iroh knew the fire lord had never been one for mental discipline. He turned his gaze on the tense form of his nephew, and vowed to help him. For the world itself was at stake.

"Prince Zuko," he said gently. "Do not despair. We will get through this. It is but an obstacle in a path of many obstacles, like a difficult game of Pai Sho." Zuko's lips quirked at his Uncle's usual choice of words, but his gaze was still conflicted and intense.

"Uncle," he responded, swiveling to face his real father figure, his hands burning the stone floor in a rare display of frazzled control. "Please.. help me." The teenager would have bowed too, if the old general had not stopped him by lifting his lowered chin up. Iroh inspected his nephew's face. He had smooth, pale skin, and sharp, narrow amber-gold eyes, which with his aristocratic features and long pinned back black hair, shaped him into a handsome and deadly looking warrior. There was no cruelty, and that much Iroh knew himself.

"Zuko," the aged master said at last, with differing seriousness. "You did not even need to ask. Of course I will. Now, here is what we must do..."

* * *

><p>Zuko grew up to the gentle voice of his mother, Ursa, as she sang him songs and taught him life lessons. He was a bright child, smarter than most and shockingly intuitive. He knew things instinctively, enough to shy away from his domineering father into the folds of his mother's robes, where it was safe. His instincts helped foster a natural talent at sword fighting and firebending, a good judge on character, and a strange perpetual state of alert wariness. He perceived the world through jaded eyes, and his Uncle delightedly proclaimed him an 'old soul'. Whatever that meant.<p>

He enjoyed history and learning about the world, and often spent his leisure days at his uncle's side as the old man told countless tales with his wise, gravelly, and jolly voice. He could feel the rumbles of soothing strength in the man's chest, and often times fell asleep on his lap when it was getting late. Zuko loved his mother and his uncle, and later his sister. Anyone who assumed he hated Azula for his less than savory treatment by her hands and wicked tongue, would have assumed wrong. Zuko himself did not know why he held no hatred for her, only that there was a deep sense of personal failure. He attributed it to the fact that he was the one that had taken care of her, as a little incoherent baby. No one other than him, not even his mother, had seen his sister's curious tender hands as they waved in childish happiness. For the others in the palace, it was fine to think Azula had been born evil and cruel. He knew better.

Zuko, like his sister, was a firebending prodigy. He was also an unusual one, as he took to creating and redirecting lightning, and precise deadly firebending tactics, like a turtle duck to water. Only his uncle, whom he admired greatly, knew his talents, and taught him techniques. His firebending eventually shifted to a hybrid Xingyiquan and Northern Shaolin style, and his palace tutors gave up on him. They just could not understand like the old general could, why he wasn't good at creating haphazard and uncontrolled bursts of fire fueled by anger. He became known derisively as a useless son, but still he hid.

As they both grew up, brother and sister, the Fire Nation prince became aware of something that screamed in wrongness. It was there in his father's hidden killing intent, and his mother's refusal to acknowledge a young Azula. Ozai, ever a bird of prey, had soon swooped in and settled scavenging claws in his naïve sister, and their family strained at the seams. He watched helplessly as his sibling, unknowing and ignorant, devoured her father's words and praises like the delicious toxins they were. He turned his fear into impassioned determination, and he gained a reputation outside of the palace walls as the Benevolent Prince, though he did not know it. However, his good deeds did not help him personally, and a year later, Zuko's world was shattered.

One morning, his mother had slipped into his room and woken him. He stared at her, sleep flying away rapidly at her disheveled and tear streaked state.

"Mother," he said, his eyes wide. "What is wrong?"

She shook her head and grasped his small shoulders. "My son," she said, her voice full of emotion. "My son.. I am sorry."

"Mother, please tell me what's wrong!" he cried, more urgently.

"I am so sorry.. I love you. I love you Zuko, and I'm proud of you.." She was already drawing away, and his body failed to move after her. As she disappeared into the night, her whispered warning following him into his dreams.

_"Beware your father."_

Those words became his creed, for he had never trusted his father nor his grandfather before this. The next day he visited the turtle duck pond and did not move from his spot at its edge, staring into the clear, calm depths. He did not like what he was feeling. A sliver of darkness had nestled itself into the corners of his heart, and for the first time he felt an endless fury that threatened to engulf him entirely. He could feel the lightning at his fingertips, and when he thought he was going to lose himself, Azula's devil-tongued voice brought him back. He was never more grateful for her presence than at that moment, for his rationality returned. He quickly left, before his control snapped and he did something he would regret.. but he would never forget the look on his sister's face when she glimpsed his inner turmoil, his dangerous thoughts. That, more than anything, helped calm him. The fear in her yellow eyes stopped him from going over the edge every time he thought about it.

He headed straight for Uncle Iroh's chambers, and there he holed himself up for many years. Iroh himself, his position having been usurped from him by his younger brother, was not angry. He had just lost Lu Ten, and Zuko's presence filled the gap that had been left. They both used each other as a crutch, but little by little the two grew genuinely closer. Zuko was grateful that Iroh accepted him, and his long lived admiration turned into familial affection as the time passed. He could almost forget his father existed, if not for the sense of wrongness that grew thicker and stronger still. His father's ambition and darkness encroached every room in the palace, and the now crown prince observed its malicious influence with growing dread. The world, he felt, would be destroyed by Fire Lord Ozai's insanity. He continued to play Pai Sho and study with his uncle, until suddenly an invitation was extended to him to participate in a war conference. He saw Azula's hand in it, how ever unintentional it was. He accepted, if only to see what his sister looked like now that she was probably past all return.

Zuko found himself proved wrong, when he noticed her gnawing fear as the chamber grew tremblingly still and silent. When she looked to him unconsciously for help, he knew what he had to do, both as a brother and as a prince. With unnatural ease, he took control of the situation, and his life, which he had painstakingly pieced nearly back together, became forfeit.

* * *

><p>Zuko stood on the ceremonial platform, dressed in the clothes he used to wear to firebending practice, and stared at the decorated hall in queasy reticence. It was a long, narrow hall, with a raised stone platform in the very center, surrounded by rows and rows of gallery seats. Red and gold tapestries hung from the ceiling, as if a parade was about to begin. His distaste with his own kind, Fire Nation nobility, had only grown in the recent years, and he viewed everything with weary contempt. The prince could feel thousands of eyes burning into him, and when he noticed his father on the other side of the platform, Zuko felt like his uncle had looked when he broke the news to him. His limbs shook, with adrenaline or fear, he did not know.. for he had lost feeling hours ago. Especially in his toes.<p>

The first few blasts were easy to dodge, but his father quickly upped the ante. When the fire lord unleashed a raging blast of flames, Zuko stood his ground and waited for it, his uncle's words ringing in his ear.

"Do not fight back, my Prince," the old general had said, worry creaking in his bones. "If you do, you will surely be killed. Please, let him think you are harmless. It is the only way."

He rolled those words in his head, over and over, as his grip on reality dissolved into pain. He could feel the voice of Fire Lord Ozai, as it reverberated around the hall, while he lay curled on the floor.

"From this day forth," his father intoned scornfully. "You are hereby banished from the Fire Nation, and stripped of your honor and status as Crown Prince. You will carry that scar with you forever, as a mark of disgrace. I never want to see your face again."

The rest was lost to the blackness.

Zuko eventually came to, about three days later, the upper right side of his face heavily and permanently scarred. But, miraculously, he was alive. He sat up in his bed, pale hands gripping his white sheets in humbling relief. He was alive, and that was all that mattered, even if he was banished from his home and everything he knew. Later that night, he got a secret visit from Azula, who stared at his scar with an unreadable expression.

"Zuzu," she said, surprisingly subdued. "Why.."

He locked eyes with her, his golden gaze serene. "You are my sister," he said simply, without embarrassment. She scowled something fierce, and her clawed hands drew blood in her palms before she shook her head vigorously.

"Zuzu," she said again. "I got father to change your sentence. If you capture the Avatar and bring him back, he will restore your honor and your position. You can still come home!"

Zuko was intensely grateful that his sister was not as foregone as he had believed, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that Ozai had deceived her. Searching for the Avatar was only a wild goose chase, an invisible needle in a haystack. The Avatar had disappeared 100 years ago, no one knew if he was even alive anymore, least of all his location. He forced his lips into a small smile, and rested a hand on Azula's head. She stilled, then slapped his hand away and stormed out, never looking back. The fire prince quietly watched her go, remembering another female that had vanished from his life in much the same manner. His memories were short lived, as Uncle Iroh stepped into the room, looking far more aged than before.

"My Prince," the old general said. "I am glad you are still alive.. preparations are being made right now to help you during your exile.." he paused a moment. "...and with your quest."

Zuko forced himself out of bed to stand next to his uncle, his legs wobbly and weak from disuse, and he watched his father figure fuss over him with something akin to longing.

"Uncle, I.." he began, suddenly awkward and afraid.

"Prince Zuko," interrupted the Dragon of the West, whose brown eyes were fiery and anticipatory. Indeed, he looked much more lively than ever before. "Allow me to accompany you during your banishment.. after all, Pai Sho must be played with two people, not one." Iroh grinned mischievously, and all was right with the world.


	3. Uncle Iroh

**A/N:** I own nothing. From here on out, updates will slow down.. sorry!

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter 3: **Uncle Iroh

The promise of a ship and a crew bore a similarity to Azula's charmed life, mainly because both were lies. Zuko found himself and his uncle unceremoniously dumped at the edge of the west Fire Nation border, with little besides a pack each, the clothes on their backs, and his specially made twin swords. Personally, the fire prince was not surprised. His father was never known for his graciousness or his generosity. Iroh had taken it in stride, and as the two walked side by side, the old man started to hum an equally old song about the elements.

"Prince Zuko," the general said, with almost giddy excitement. "What do you suppose we should do now, with our lives spread before us? This miraculous, empty playing board!"

Zuko, at the sound of his former title, halted his steps, turning slowly around to face the disappearing landscape of his former home. He watched the sunset for a moment, his golden eyes intense, before he grasped the handle of one of his swords and in a swift move, chopped off his ponytail. His deep black hair settled into a short, scraggly, and rough mess. Iroh stared.

"My Prince!" he said, with measured shock and mild theatrics. "Your hair.. Why have you severed your last ties?"

The fire prince did not reply as he opened his palm and let the blacker than coal strands become lost in the hot winds of the evening. He slowly, almost achingly, closed his hand into a pale fist.

"Prince.." he repeated scornfully, bitterly. "A prince is more than just a title. It is a way of life. A responsibility to the people and to the country. But with the way I am now, I am not fit to be a prince... and under father, Azula will not be a good ruler." A slightly regretful look appeared on his face. The old man received the words with a comforting smile, and he called back to his charge and treasure, "My nephew, then.. let us travel the world! To see what must be done, to discover the lessons of the universe, and to learn the life of the people. When we come back you can proudly wear that mantle once again, as one who knows and has experienced it all first hand."

The teenager glanced over his shoulder at his uncle, and the faint smile of acceptance that was visible was all the consent that was needed.

* * *

><p>Zuko was much more perceptive than many others his age, and in some ways this unconsciously lowered his view of the world. As a young boy, he had noticed something worrying about his uncle. It was all over him. In his laugh, in his smile, in his cheery disposition, in his apparent harmlessness.. Everything was heavily coated in a layer of strained fake, and his uncle was covered in a mask fashioned like a second skin. In the eyes of others, he acted normally, but in Zuko's mind he was anything but. The little prince could tell, without being prompted, that something was wrong with his uncle. It wasn't an obvious and in-your-face kind of wrong, but it was a darker, deceptively passive force that threatened to swallow him up completely. He had watched as his uncle succumbed to this force, a little bit more every day, and he had watched as his father started to prey on that weakness.<p>

"Uncle," Zuko said, when he finally couldn't stand it. He stood next to the lounging Iroh, casting a shadow on the old man's face.

"Hmm... yes, Prince Zuko?" Iroh responded with a jolly smile, pausing in the middle of a sip of hot tea.

"I want to learn how to play Pai Sho," the fire prince announced with his usual seriousness, and the look on the old general's face was one to behold. "Can you teach me?"

Tricky, was the first thought that came to Iroh's mind. His nephew had worded it just so, so that if he refused to teach him, he would be saying he wasn't capable of it. That, more than anything, grated on his pride as a Pai Sho master. But then again, the old man smirked inwardly, if Zuko could subtly trap someone with only his words, who was to say he couldn't do it with his game pieces? And so that was the beginning of countless meetings and countless games, enough to make the fire prince's brain hurt and his knees protest the treatment.. although for his part, Zuko was thankful that his uncle had regained his normal lively spark and temporarily dropped that fabricated mark of happiness. The problem was still unsolved, but until he knew what it was, he couldn't quite attempt to fix it. As shown in his Pai Sho tactics, he was prudent and cautious until he saw an opening and attacked decisively with a crippling blow.

The closer he got to his uncle, the more he learned about the old general. While his old title the Dragon of the West was long forgotten and the grandfatherly look about him made people think he was harmless, Zuko knew that Iroh was more than just his image. Under his nearly incoherent ramblings about random things and excessive use of aphorisms or proverbs, there was a swift current of startlingly clear wisdom. Under his expensive robes lurked a physique of steel that spoke of dedicated discipline. Under his fumbling, weathered fingers was a sublime, controlled power. These curious findings would eventually become advantageous for a young Zuko.

The fire prince, after disappointing his father and palace tutors once again, retreated one day to his uncle's chambers. It was a rare moment of self-doubt for the withdrawn boy.

"My Prince!" said Iroh, upon noticing his nephew's downcast demeanor. "What happened?"

"It's more like what didn't happen," the prince replied with a small sigh. "I.. I just can't seem to firebend well. I can do the forms, but fueling my firebending.." His golden eyes bore holes into the floors of the room and he kept his head lowered. "I fear I am a failure."

The general cut in harshly, "Prince Zuko! _Never_ say something like that."

"But what can I do if it's true?" he said, raising his palms to the sky. His uncle began to pace the chamber's rather large perimeter, hand on his chin.

"It is possible," the old man said, in deep thought, "that you just aren't suited for orthodox firebending. Will you try something for me, Prince Zuko?"

Zuko stared at him with uncertainty, but nodded slowly in acceptance. Iroh walked over to his nephew and instructed him to fold his fingers so that only his index and middle fingers were still up. His stance was changed to be a little more flexible and loose, and he started a slow breathing exercise. Follow the passage of energy inside of you, he had been told, and direct it outward to your fingertips. Zuko then made an exact, sweeping motion with his fingers, and a wild arc of blue-white lightning crackled in its wake. Iroh watched with fascinated excitement as his nephew performed lightning creation with astonishing ease.

"Uncle?" the awed voice of the fire prince jolted him out of his thoughts, and the general voiced his reasoning.

"I know you have no real anger or passion to use while firebending," the old man said, a trifle smugly. "You are quiet, intuitive, cautious, and most of all, balanced. What lightning requires more than anything is balanced calm, flow, and control. One with too much passion and imbalance cannot master this aspect of firebending. If I may hazard a guess, I suspect you have talent for more fine-tuned, precision bending. Like, for example, making chains from concentrated trails of fire."

Zuko had listened to all of this with quiet joy. He wasn't useless.. he was just different. The thought cheered him up immensely. It was at this point that he decided not to compare himself to Azula, and his younger sister caught on to his apathy rather quickly from there. He turned to his new father figure just as his uncle said something that surprised him yet again.

"I will be your tutor, Prince Zuko," his uncle decided. "Privately, of course."

"Uncle.." the fire prince said, his liquid golden eyes wide in astonishment. "You would do that for me?"

The aged general smiled convincingly, patting his rather round belly as he chuckled. "Of course! You are like a son to me."

After that, Zuko's firebending skills grew in leaps and bounds just like his sword fighting, and he proved himself a hard-working genius. The time he spent with his uncle continued to grow almost exponentially, until it seemed like that was all he did with his days. At the same time, while soaking up instruction from the old firebending master, the fire prince learned the reason for his uncle's previous deterioration. It was grief. When Iroh had commented about Zuko being like a son, the boy had had his suspicions. It turned out that his uncle did indeed have a son, Lu Ten, who had died during the seige of Ba Sing Se. This discovery stopped him in his tracks, and he wondered if he was a replacement for a lost son. It would not be the last time.

* * *

><p>As the day was already nearly over, the two spent the night in a relatively calm Fire Nation outpost that they found a little ways away. It wasn't a grand structure, but its dark grey and ash-covered steel walls seemed imposing, as its Fire Nation flag rippled in the waning light. Iroh was welcomed eagerly, and Zuko with some confusion, for the fire prince had cut his hair and wrapped his head in an exotic dark blue patterned cloth to hide his facial scar. It had been a strange gift from someone his uncle had helped long ago. They were allowed a room at the end of the hall, and a share of the night's stew, which was more than they could ask for at such short notice. After they ate, Iroh retired to bed while his nephew remained in the circle of resting soldiers, listening to them talk of the war. The prince thought it opportune to get some inside opinions, for the guards in the palace never really spoke and the nobles only gossiped shamelessly.<p>

"I can't believe it's still going on," groused one of the soldiers, playing with his cup of strong tea. "It's been so long, I don't even remember why we went to war."

"Careful!" hissed another, his eyes darting around. "You don't want to be mistaken for talking treason, do you?"

"It's the truth," an older one said resignedly. "Even if we did win the war and show everyone our superiority, our forces would be stretched thin. We don't have enough soldiers to govern the world."

"..I just hate it," the first one said, subdued. "I used to be on the frontlines, before I quit and got reassigned. The way we would destroy civilian villages that couldn't fight back, and the way they begged and pleaded for compassion..." he broke off, glaring fiercely. "It was dehumanizing."

"Orders are orders," said the older one. Zuko contemplated this, and he injected his own question into the conversation.

"So what do you think the general consensus is about the war?" he asked, curious, as he glanced at them with his only visible amber eye.

"General consensus?" scoffed one. "I'll tell you what. No one cares about the lower ranks these days. We're all tired of this. The war needs to end, but who listens to cannon fodder?"

"Fire Nation's image has been tarnished," another grumbled. "Now, when people see us, they see murderers, people with no hearts. In their eyes, we are made of nothing but cruelty and destruction. It shouldn't be like that. We're supposed to be admired, looked up to.. guardians of the sun! Proud firebenders, masters of the best element there is."

"The 'general consensus'," mimicked the first one. "Is that every death of a person from Fire Nation is a good one, no matter who it is or how it came about. The others are just as bad as we are. They don't bother to realize that not everyone in the Fire Nation is pure evil."

"Hmph," the old one sneered. "Maybe we _are_ evil."

"Maybe!" the rest of the soldiers laughed, and Zuko excused himself from the group, walking away from the heat of the fire pit in silence. He had much to think about.


	4. Embers of Growth

**A/N: **I own nothing.. and I apologize. This story refuses to be told in something other than this type of passive voice. Not much will be happening until we get a more active and boisterous character in the picture (probably soon), but you will get plenty of background and insight in the meantime.

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter 4: **Embers of Growth

Admittedly, Zuko was more than just your everyday, spoiled prince. The core of his personality formed as a result of high sensitivity, cautious curiosity, and forced isolation. He was inquisitive and intuitive at the same time, and when he was young he often followed the servants around as they completed their tasks. Many of them, although at first annoyed and flustered, quickly warmed up to him when they saw that he was just like any other child, albeit a more prosperous one. In this way, Zuko's childhood world opened up to other parts of the area in which he was sheltered, and he also obtained something of incalculable value. The trust of his future subjects and access to the most useful and thorough information network in the palace. It was here that people talked and whispered and speculated, and it was here that he listened.

Most of his early maturity could have also been contributed to his parents. As he himself put it in his later years, he was made human by his mother, and monster by his father. His mother, Ursa, was a kind, gentle, and peaceful soul. She taught him what love was, how to show concern, what a family should be, how to be considerate, how to think of other people before himself.. (he had then tried brokenly to apply these concepts to an already acerbic Azula.) She taught him how to be soft yet unyielding, passive yet offensive, distant yet forceful, versatile yet precise. Under her subtle tutelage, he was molded with great strength of character and an unwavering sense of duty. She may have cloaked herself in a veneer of harmlessness and motherly duty, but Ursa was not ignorant. Neither was she weak.

In comparison, Ozai was the exact opposite. He was callous, angry, tough, hardhearted, and insensitive. He was also, despite all of this, a decent teacher. He taught Zuko many lessons, though never a single one intentionally. He taught him how to be hard yet receptive, aggressive yet sly, calculating yet enterprising, cold yet fiery. From Ozai, the little prince gleaned much indirectly and formed a naturally suspicious and opportunistic mindset, coupled with ample pragmatism. It was something difficult to admit, but Zuko's father was far from stupid and very far from being powerless. He was, however, quick to judge and rather impatient as well, and he soon stepped out of his son's life with a twinge of disappointment.

The duality of these conflicting lessons from both of Zuko's parents created an appreciation and partial understanding for the complexity of life's many contradictions. The compelling philosophy of experience left a lasting impression on him. It was thanks to this mentality that Iroh let himself be charmed and slowly healed by his nephew, opening his heart up once more and allowing its sorrows to be painstakingly caressed away. A sombre mood had never suited the great, jolly general. Zuko tried his best to tend to his uncle, and in return received even more lessons. They were more difficult to understand, too elusive and indefinite to articulate precisely.. but nevertheless, he scraped together pieces of Iroh's vast wisdom and used them to decorate his reality.

* * *

><p>Iroh had a grand collection of aphorisms and cliché sayings. Hundreds of these dealt with the virtue of patience.. and Zuko had believed in his own utter acceptance of the truth of their words. He had also thought himself very tolerant and hadn't wasted a second thought on his inevitable traveling partner.. In retrospect, this was a foolishly optimistic dismissal of the current thorn in his side. The fire prince glared at the ground underfoot as he walked. No one, absolutely <em>no one<em>, possessed the infinite patience necessary to deal with the old general for a prolonged period of time. Not even him. This fact grated on his nerves just as much as his lack of emotional control at the moment.

"Ahh, Zuko," said the balding Pai Sho master. "Isn't this weather lovely? And this scenery too! One would never be able to view such splendid landscape near the Fire Nation capital. There, it is all artificial gardens or dry rock and sere vegetation."

"Indubitably," muttered Zuko, reaching up and tightening the patterned dark blue cloth wrapped around his head. It covered the burnt part of his face and made him look exotic, but it also served as a sweat collector. Yuck.

"Why, nephew, you don't sound too enthusiastic," Iroh chuckled knowingly. "I know. How about we stop for a bit, under the shade of that tree over there? Perhaps have a spot of tea.."

"If you brought tea leaves and a teapot _and_ a tea cup, you are welcome to have tea," said the fire prince with a slight scowl, settling himself obediently against the trunk of a small tree. He let out a super heated sigh that made the air in front of him shimmer and bend, and watched his uncle make the hot drink.

"Zuko," the old man said pleasantly, smiling. "From here, where do you wish to go?" The black haired, golden eyed youth closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

"The Water Tribes are too isolated and still licking their wounds from Fire Nation's last raid.. The Air Nomads have temple cities, but by now they are all ruins. Of course, by scouring the world we are bound to find more than just that.. but at the moment, the closest and most opportune places to go are the Earth Kingdoms. Those will be our beginning destinations," Zuko responded after a long moment of silence, and then turned away to take a nap.

Iroh drank a deep gulp of scaling tea.

"As you say," he grinned in response.

They resumed their trek a few hours later, with a lot of daylight still left, on a slightly altered course to the closest port. They would have to take a ship across the waters to the land of the Earthbenders. The path to this port cut through a sizable piece of Fire Nation's edge lands, as well as a deep forest. It took the better part of a month at a leisurely pace to reach the start of the forest, but the two gratefully enjoyed the new, full reprieve from the merciless sun. After a long while, its heat and unbroken gaze had become too much for them.

Here, closer to the interior part of the woodland, was where Zuko found his first true friend. One day, on a hunting trip, as he was desperate for meat and food other than rations or herbs, the fire prince stumbled across a peculiar sight. Cornered in a small little nook between two twisted trees was a small, sleek weasel-bat, snarling something fierce at its foe, a lumbering and large armadillo-boar. The armadillo-boar looked ready to charge, but the smaller animal refused to move. The teenager, making a quick decision, unsheathed his twin swords and stepped between them. The reason, at first, had been simple. The armadillo-boar would reward more meat than a weasel-bat, and on second glance, the weasel-bat was injured, one of its great leathery black wings broken and bleeding. But, on further inquiry, Zuko would have admitted that the smaller animal had gained his respect with its bravery and resolute defiance. The kindred fire in its spirit at that moment was something he could connect with, and so he placed himself directly into the armadillo-boar's line of sight, silver blades gleaming.

The armadillo-boar, nearly blinded by the reflecting light on the blades and angry at the disruption, let out a furious guttural cry and _charged_. Zuko gritted his teeth and dropped on one knee, planting himself firmly with a foothold in the ground. He steadied himself and positioned his swords. The armadillo-boar would only charge straight on, and he would have to be prepared. His left hand was to take the assault, and his right hand was to finish it. Easier said than done, of course. The armadillo-boar met the pointed edge of his sword full on, and it sank into its muscled chest. Zuko's hold on the ground was not enough and he fought to stop from sliding too much, his foot digging deeper and deeper into the dirt. When the armadillo-boar's full force pushed on his sword, his left arm, which was holding it firmly, broke with a sickening crack. The golden eyed youth let out a yell, half ferocity and half pain, and slammed his other sword into an unprotected eye, and then deeper, straight into its brain. The wild animal slowed, dead, and then collapsed. He bit his lip so hard it bled, fighting the pain of his shattered limb as he eased himself away from the heavy armadillo-boar corpse and slid his impaled sword out of its still chest. He felt more than a little silly, having hurt himself rather badly defending a weasel-bat of all things, but his personality wouldn't allow him to be regretful. He did what he had wanted to, and wouldn't dwell on it. What's done is done, as his uncle would say. Wait a minute.. _was he really quoting his uncle? _The pain must've been more dizzying than he had thought.

He glanced at the weasel-bat in question, and it was staring at him curiously, no longer bristling. Zuko approached it and it bared its teeth, but he held out his hand slowly. When it didn't bite him, he picked it up as gently as he could with one good arm and made his way back to camp, carrying his swords in their sheaths. When the old general saw him and his new companion, he exclaimed rather loudly, with an urgently worried look.

"Zuko!" he cried, warm brown eyes widening. "What happened to you? You're all scratched up and dirty, and..." his uncle inhaled sharply. "Your arm!"

"I..." the fire prince struggled for a reasonable sounding answer. "I faced our dinner in a stand off. I won."

Iroh stared, completely speechless for once. Then he found his voice again. "You're not making any sense, my dear nephew. You 'faced' our _dinner_? And you clearly look like you've lost!"

"We needed meat," the black haired teenager defended. "I killed an armadillo-boar a couple hundred meters back.. If we can get parts of it back here, we'll have a feast. And I'm sure it looks much worse off."

The old man sighed, and smoothed a hand over Zuko's smudged, sweaty cheek. "Don't scare me like that. If you had died too.." Zuko stiffened, and Iroh let it go. "Come, my nephew, let us bandage you up."

The weasel-bat lifted its head and let out a squeak. "Him too," said the fire prince, with a faintly amused smile on his face, his bright amber eyes still alight with adrenaline. Iroh, just noticing the smaller animal, nodded with some exasperation.

"Alright," the Pai Sho master relented. "That weasel-bat too. Though I don't even know why he's with you and acting so tame. Zuko! Have you been holding out on me your charming, animal-loving side?" His nephew rolled his eyes and shared a look with the weasel-bat.

"It seems we are both in the same boat," he said. "Injured, and forced to deal with an overenthusiastic mother hen. There's no way you're getting out of this if I'm not."

The weasel-bat chirped indignantly, but stayed put, and Zuko followed his uncle to their packs to get first aid treatment. As the old general rummaged about, back to his old self in a flash, humming and searching for ointment and bandages, the dark teenager smirked briefly. It was rare, fleeting expression that made him look much sharper.

"I think I'll name you Tyr," he said absently.


	5. Commander Zhao

**A/N: **I own nothing. This is something like a filler chapter. Fyi, this fic will be mostly about Zuko (and Iroh, and maybe Toph) so.. I'm not really going to go over what happens with Aang until they meet up. I'm sure you can guess after this chapter.

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Five: **Commander Zhao

_Blood is thicker than water._

When Fire Lord Ozai's ringing words declared the fate of Zuko, who lay sideways on the floor of the ceremonial platform with his face twisted from pain, Azula could have sworn that her heart had stopped. The gravity of her brother's selfless sacrifice came full weight on her shoulders at that moment, and for reasons unknown, something inside of her rejected his sentence vehemently. A childish part of her cried against it, and she couldn't help but resent her own feelings. Affection made you weak. That was the very first lesson her father had drilled into her, and to find her control slipping at such an important time.. it chilled her, just like the thought of a life without the reassuring knowledge of her brother's presence somewhere in the palace. Azula trained her sharp yellow eyes on the crowd, and the glee in every visible expression made her feel sick. She would not be like them, like cowardly buzzards that could only grasp for the unwanted scraps of the prize. She made a beeline for her father's chambers after the end of the Agni Kai, the path seeming alien and foreign to her as she walked. The fire princess had resolved to change Ozai's mind, for if anything, blood was far thicker than water.

Azula had grown up with a naturally cunning mind, which had then been cultivated into a tool of vicious manipulation by Fire Lord Ozai's guiding hand. Her father's past teachings were then worked against him, as she secured victoriously a ship and crew to aid her brother, as well as a change to his previously permanent exile. With her father's dismissive agreement, the fire princess chose her men swiftly, the recruitment process requiring only three things of every person: 1) absolute loyalty to Zuko, 2) useful talents and skills, and 3) quality experience. She drummed up this dream team singlehandedly, at the same time refusing to accept her true reasons for doing so, and convincing herself that it was only because she was bored that she did this. She chose the best ship in the Fire Nation navy and outfitted it with weapons, ammunition, and food, and after that, proclaimed her job done and over. Azula, her plans thus completed, had then turned herself away from her brother and attempted to move on with her life.

In reality, although the fire lord had indeed agreed, he had never had any intention of going through with his entire promise. Why waste a whole ship and crew on a useless pawn? His true feelings were carefully concealed under a veil of deceit, and he had viewed his daughter's efforts with something akin to perverse amusement. When she revealed a lack of interest at the very end, he swiftly made his move. Her entire project was gifted quietly to Commander Zhao, who Ozai had ordered to subvert his son and capture the Avatar first. Zhao, like a harmless snake that slithered underfoot, had not looked a gift horse in the mouth and accepted the mission immediately. Thankfully, the fire lord had underestimated Azula's well hidden fondness of her brother, as she herself did not acknowledge it, and unknowingly hampered his own schemes. The crew, taken from the many servants and lower hands of the palace and the military Guard, had developed a great affection for the withdrawn prince. They viewed this change of hands rightly as a betrayal of Zuko, and began to subtly sabotage the commander's every move.

In this way, Zhao and his rebellious ship lumbered their way through the gelid waters of the South Pole, unknowingly stumbling across a diamond in the dark.


	6. Blinded Earth

**A/N: **I own nothing. Also, finally! You do not know how happy this chapter made me to write..

Thank you for your reviews as well. I appreciate them.

Guess what town Zuko and Iroh are in?

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Six: **Blinded Earth

_To see is a choice._

To be quite honest, Zuko was glad to be able to leave the forest. Having spent some odd months in there, with no one but Iroh and Tyr for company, he felt more than a little weary. The headache that had been building for the past few weeks had not helped in the slightest, either. So it was with hidden relief that he sighted a vast, sparkling blue horizon and smelled the salt in the breeze. The air turned cooler rapidly, chilled slightly by the temperate ocean, and he emerged from the shady cover of the trees that were slowly thinning out closer to the beach. Hot, soft sand churned underfoot, and Iroh smiled widely at the eye-catching sight.

"Ah, Zuko," said the old general contentedly, in the mood for a lecture. "Listen closely. All elements are naturally gifted with beauty. The dangerous passion of fire, the glittering immensity of water, the artful sculptures of earth, the versatile force of air... everything exists in the world, in harmony."

"I can see it," the fire prince replied lowly, his golden eyes surveying the coast. "But how is fire considered natural? That is something I have never understood."

Iroh shook his head, tsk'ing. "Why, my nephew, that is quite simple to explain really. Do you not feel the warmth in your blood, or on your upturned palm?" He pointed towards the sky. "Do you not see that magnificent piece of fire, there in the sky? Have you not ever seen what grows after a fire, richer than ever before? What about the volcanoes? The twigs in the forest that can make fire all by themselves?"

The black haired youth gazed at his uncle. They had touched on the subject before, long ago, when Iroh had made it a habit to impress stories of elemental harmony and interdependence into him. "Those last examples... does fire have a special relationship with earth, Uncle? A volcano's lava is molten rock, the plants of the earth can make fire, fire can renew the earth, the sun gives life to the plants... It almost seems like some elements are closer to each other."

His uncle smiled, a little gently. "It is true," he confirmed. "Air and water are closer in essence, as are earth and fire. Earth is more like water than air, while fire is more like air than water. It is a circle of attribution that governs the universe."

"Hmm," Zuko hummed, looking around for signs of a port city. He could see tilted lines in the sky, dark grey and fading at the tips. Columns of smoke, and an indication of civilization. "It's good then, that we will first visit the Earth Kindgoms."

The duo walked the beach rather leisurely, and the golden eyed teenager took the time to indulge his childish side, delighting in intricately delicate sea shells. He turned a pale, cream colored one, twisted to a narrow spiraled point, into a makeshift necklace. Iroh watched his nephew with a sad expression on his face, and silently quelled his rising fury with his younger brother. They would settle this issue eventually, be it peacefully or not. It was on this note that Zuko paused, a few steps in front of the aged general.

"Uncle," the fire prince said, somewhat sedately. "Earlier, you spoke of fire's passion.. strictly speaking, what does that make lightning? Lightning has no true passion."

"That, my wayward charge," Iroh replied quietly, "is something of a complicated nature. It is perhaps a little too early to explain fully... but know this, at least. Lightning is not exclusively of fire. It is not an intrinsic part of the element, but more like a side dish. Equally important for the balance of a good meal as anything else, but not really essential or connected to the main course."

_Yes_, thought Zuko. It was truly characteristic of his uncle to use food as an analogy, even for the most unrelated of topics.

* * *

><p>It was not terribly hard to pay for passage on a ship, and the two managed to haggle a deal with the most agreeable captain they could find. For 10 gold pieces and the promise of a helping hand from Zuko, they acquired a water ridden pathway to the Earth Kingdom. The fire prince, not surprisingly, was a stranger to truly strenuous work, but he quickly adjusted as best as he could. His training as a firebender and blademaster had made him lean and fairly muscled, with a good amount of stamina to make use of. While his uncle enjoyed more tea and relaxed on deck with his favorite set of Pai Sho, Zuko improved his physique and overall hands-on experience by doing the sailors' grunt work. He now wore a sleeveless tan shirt, his shell necklace, navy colored pants, black boots, and his dark blue head cloth. Truly, he looked nothing like the regal member of royalty he had been in his earlier years, save for his inky black, feathery mop of hair, and his amber-gold eyes. Most Fire Nation citizens commonly had shades of dark brown for both hair and eyes, so his coloring stood out a little... but no one looked twice. Tyr, his recent weasel-bat pet, chattered in his ear the whole way of the journey.<p>

The voyage itself was not without hitches, but it was a generally peaceful break from nonstop hiking. Contrary to most assumptions about firebenders, Zuko liked sailing the waters, though he still did prefer solid ground. Iroh claimed it had to do with the distant ocean storms, which could always be heard, even as a slight echo in the background. They calmed him, and called to him, with their lure of raw, powerful lightning and organized chaos. Like drums, they beckoned.

* * *

><p>It was a while before they reached an Earth Kingdom town, but they managed to find one nestled in a beautifully verdant valley not that far off from the port. Zuko appreciated the muted colors of the architecture as well as its more visible austerity (compared to Fire Nation buildings), and immediately began to immerse himself in the culture. He stopped briefly to admire a pale gold adorned carving of a winged boar at the entrance, as his uncle surreptitiously gathered information and got them a place to stay. The fire prince opted to explore the town, and his first task was to look in the shops, most of which were at least partly open air. His eerily bright eyes browsed the merchandise as he lingered at an accessory store, inwardly debating with himself. The item he was looking at was an ivory hair comb, smooth and flawless, decorated with golden flowers and a dark brown bridge. For some reason, it reminded him of Azula, and he, not for the first time, worried for her mental health. Alone with Ozai was not a good environment for anyone.<p>

Zuko halted that train of thought and formed a quick decision, making an offer for the comb as well as a small, napkin ring that Tyr had been eying. The ring was small enough to fit snugly around the ankle of a hind paw, and was made of thin gold loops welded together. It glittered white in the sunlight, and the weasel-bat spent most of the following afternoon scuffling in the dirt, playing with it. The fire prince sighed, tucking the comb carefully into his pocket, and then headed for the less crowded part of town. It soon became apparent that this section was mostly for earthbenders, as large empty areas were sectioned off for practice, and beyond that was where the more well off members of society dwelled. Zuko decided to return later when it was night, where he would be less suspicious and noticeable, to observe the more minute differences in the lifestyles of the rich. Unlike in the Fire Nation capital, the rich here lived in closer proximity with the poor. It would be interesting to see how that changed things.. but for now.. he followed a couple earthbending students back to the market. He couldn't help but overhear their conversation, for they weren't making an effort to be secretive at all.

"So, who do you think is going to win _Earth Rumble V_ next month?" the older one asked eagerly, with a wild grin on his face. His friend, smaller but with a stronger voice, replied loudly, "It's obviously going to be the reigning champion, Xin Fu. Who else would it be?"

"You never know," argued the first one, stomping his feet as an earthbender was wont to do. "I heard that Xin Fu got a new position as manager and host. He's not going to be participating this time."

"If its going to be anyone but him," interjected the shorter of the two. "Then it'll be the Boulder. It was pretty close if you ask me, during the finals last year..." They turned a corner and their voices faded away as they moved farther from Zuko, who was contemplating this new find with some interest. So this town held its own major earthbending tournament.. how opportune. He returned shortly to the inn to inform his uncle, but not before maneuvering for two tickets to the upcoming _Earth Rumble V_. It would be a great waste to be in town during the tournament, but not attend it personally. The black haired teenager smoothed the fur a preening Tyr, sitting on a chair in his room as he watched Iroh receive the news with scary glee.

"Oh, how wonderful, my nephew!" the old general cried, doing a weird sashaying movement with his hands clasped together. "I just _knew_ it was a good idea to sign you up!"

The fire prince froze, almost forgetting to school his emotions. "What?"

"Didn't I tell you?" asked Iroh innocently. "I signed you up for earthbending lessons. Truly, aren't you proud of my deviousness?"

"...earthbending?" Zuko echoed, uncomprehending. "But uncle.. I am not an earthbender. I will never be one as long as I live. I am no Avatar."

"Definitely not," said the aged man, taking a seat on the rough bed. "There will be other things to learn, however. Perhaps the relationship between fire and earth shall become more apparent to you? The similarities, and the differences.. I have no doubt you will be able to fudge your way through the first few lessons."

"Uncle, just how many lessons did you sign me up for?" sighed his nephew. Iroh brightened immediately, shrugging off his serious side like one would a heavy coat in the summer. Tyr cleaned his claws warily, ruffling his dark leather wings with nervous tension.

"I'm glad you asked," assured the firebending master. "I have signed you up for a month! Perfect timing, right? You will finish just as _Earth Rumble V_ starts, and be able to view the skills of the earthbenders with a little more insight."

It was then, that the ugly truth dawned on Zuko. Surviving his uncle's whims would possibly take even more tenacity than facing his father in an Agni Kai. Such was his luck.

"You start tomorrow," Iroh added with a grin.

* * *

><p>The next day, the sun rose promptly in the sky, shining incessantly through the window of the resident fire prince's room. He debated not getting up and just staying all day lying in his hard dusty bed, as he stared at the stone ceiling with a troubled frown. It was not that he didn't want to learn.. it was just.. was trying to learn earthbending a betrayal of his nature? Iroh's opinions were rather clear, but it didn't seem like a question with a definite answer. He gave up thinking about it for the moment and got himself ready for the day. Zuko spent his preparation time devising ways to pretend to be an earthbender, and had resigned himself to making a show of great mediocrity and hopelessness. The teacher was likely not to care much as long as he was being paid in full, and his peers would only make fun of him or ignore his existence entirely. It didn't seem pleasant, but the withdrawn teenager felt no real loss. He would probably never really connect with his more carefree age-mates as a result of his isolationist childhood anyway.<p>

He made his way to the small earthbending academy with mild anxiety, carrying his twin swords on his back as a means of comfort. Also, it meant that if any of the other students wanted to chuck rocks at him, he'd have a way to defend himself. The thought did not lift his spirits much, though it did steady his determination more effectively.

"You must be the new pupil," greeted Master Yu, a friendly business smile plastered on his rather disagreeably droopy face. "I have heard of your extreme difficulties from your uncle, and I shall endeavor to help you out. It must be such a pity, to have neglected your earthbending heritage for so long... not to worry. Here, under my tutelage, you will improve by leaps and bounds." The so-called master guided him to a corner in the empty dirt yard and sat him down.

"I would like you to begin breathing exercises," he said imperiously, with an air of great experience. "Imagine a flow of energy from the earth, rising through your feet and then on into your body. Seek a connection with the earth below you, as well as within you. I will check back with you in a few hours." He shuffled away, most likely to attend to other more advanced pupils.

The fire prince listened to this with surprising eagerness. So every element began with the learning of how to breathe and feel the flow of energies. How interesting. There were subtle differences, though. Firebenders were taught to feel the energy within themselves, beginning from the intake of air by the mouth and then traveling throughout the body. Earthbending energy began outside the body and then progressed from the feet upwards... a curious discovery. As he was no newbie to meditation, Zuko settled himself swiftly and calmly, hyper aware of the beat of the earth beneath his crossed legs as he slowly lost his sense of self in the midst of cycling energy.

These sessions continued for a week, until Master Yu deemed him ready to attempt the earthbending stances. The long-faced teacher demonstrated the first kata, moving with startling firmness that didn't seem possible with his pliable frame, revealing the rigidity and durability needed to make the earth itself move. The forms were solid and had a strange finality to them, including a need for a lot of power and inner strength to be properly executed.

"Naturally, you will only be practicing the katas," he informed Zuko after showing them to him. "When you have mastered all of them, I will move you up a belt to begin actually working with some soft earth to earthbend."

Zuko, a genius in his own right, picked up the moves with startling speed and accuracy, partially astonishing the academy's master. At first, the forms had been rather awkward, requiring less actual movement than firebending, which had a lot of whirling kicks and jabbing moves, but more force and strain. The fire prince, using newly found strength from his jobs on the ship, managed to soak up the motions with unprecedented agility of mind and body. He struggled with himself to hold back his natural urge to release lightning with every swing of his limbs, and barely succeeded. To be fair, despite this, it was obvious he didn't have much talent at outright earthbending, as the pebbles around him had not so much as moved even when he performed the katas with impeccable vigor. It was more like they had trembled from his intentionally heavy movements, if anything. Master Yu was unconsciously condescending about this fact.

"Well, it seems you have satisfactorily completed the kata training," the earthbending master said after the second week. "Tomorrow, we shall begin something new. Come, I will show you your next step for now." He lead the black haired youth into the building, where a young girl was playing with bits of dirt. She was dressed in fine gossamer clothing of soft yellow and white, with drawn back black hair and gold accessories. She was also blind, with startlingly pale and wide grey-green eyes. The expression on her face was deceptively innocent and blank, but Zuko could tell she was incredibly bored. He had read far more poker faced people during his time at the palace.

"I would like you to meet Toph Bei Fong," announced Master Yu, with a proud, slightly arrogant air. The golden eyed teenager was instantly wary. It was obvious that this girl was extremely important judging by her expensive high quality clothes, and if his instincts were right, extremely dangerous. Most guys would scoff at the fact that such a young, small girl could probably be very powerful, but... well, more than anyone, he had the experience to know better. After all, with a little sister like Azula...

Plus, with a name like Toph in an Earth Kingdom town, in an earthbending academy no less, who wouldn't be apprehensive?


	7. The Tomboy

**A/N: **I own nothing. Thank you to my reviewers, I'm sorry I cannot answer each one because for some reason, the reply links I get in my email do not work. The progress may seem quick and overwhelming, but as they always say.. two heads are better one. In this case, Iroh makes a third head.

_CrazyDyslexicNerd – _Ah, that is totally true.. and actually, probably 10 or something. I think this is about a year and a half before the show starts.

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Seven: **The Tomboy

_Freedom lies in being bold._

Toph Bei Fong was an interesting bit of character study. Zuko spent almost the entire next day simply watching her as she rolled and tossed pieces of rock and dirt with her fingers, sitting on the floor of the inner academy building. It was an isolated area, and he assumed that it was because she was blind and rich that Master Yu had hidden her away into seclusion. In some aspects, it was very similar to the way he spent his own childhood... but in any case, he was only here because he was probably the quietest and most well behaved student that could be trusted to watch her. She was a little thing, delicate looking in her way of dress, and probably about 5-6 years younger than he was. Zuko gleaned what information he could from her posture, her subconscious movements, her hidden expressions.. he could tell she was a much better earthbender than everyone thought. Primarily, it had to do with the way she sat. Oh, she had seated herself with the regular poised grace of someone in high society, but she couldn't hide how she never failed to firmly plant her feet on the ground. She also twitched slightly whenever he moved or adjusted his position, even though he tried his best to not to create noise or rustle his clothes. It was actually pretty fascinating.

After a pleasantly quiet and calm four hours of doing nothing but observing her, Zuko was not surprised when the girl in question finally lost a bit of her cool. Toph Bei Fong let the crumbling pieces of earth drop out of her restless hands as she struggled not to scowl.

"Are you going to watch me all day?" she asked scornfully, with an undercurrent of irritation. _Ah_, so she wasn't the patient type, was she? Another notch for his hypothesis about her, though it was a sketchy one at best. Usually, wealthy females were rather good at waiting, or you could also call it stewing silently. Like a good stew, a woman's temper got more potent as time passed... Oh god, Iroh was rubbing off on him.. he had just made a food analogy. No no no.

"Something wrong, lady?" answered Zuko blandly, but a hint of a smile on his face. So she could feel his gaze? How curious. He continued to watch her shamelessly, making swirly drawings in the layer of dirt on the floor as he did so. She seemed slightly distracted by that, though her eyebrow did a small little spasm at his reply. Did he just call her a_ lady?_

"May I ask why you're staring at me?" Toph ground out admirably, suppressing most of her annoyance and trying to retain her dainty image. Her fingers were making sudden, minute movements, as if she itched to brain him with a piece of rock. He added another mental notch to his list.

"Ahh.. yes. It is very educational to do so," said the fire prince, with sudden seriousness. She paused momentarily at that.

"Hmph," she then scoffed, switching to another topic. "I know you. You're _Master_ Yu's newest pupil, right?" She emphasized the word 'master' with apparent distaste and sarcasm.

The golden eyed teenager hummed, stretching calmly. "So you've heard of me?"

"Yes," her mouth twisted into a humorous grin. "I have. All the other students talk about you. The talentless earthbender that can't even make dirt shift by itself, no matter what he tries to do."

"That is probably true," Zuko conceded, closing his eyes until they were lazily half-lidded, staring at the patch of sunlight nearest him. He drank in the heat with comforting thirst while Toph grew angry at his complacency.

"So?" she demanded, her fingers gripped tightly into a fist, abandoning her delicate facade. "Are you just going to stand there and take it, you pansy? Don't you want to prove them wrong?" Her words were loaded with bitterness, and he frowned in response as she unknowingly struck a chord within him, his own disastrous experience with early firebending coming back to the forefront of his mind.

"I see," he said lowly, his expression blanking quickly. "You yourself have dealt with this, haven't you? In fact, it is still going on as we speak.." He glanced around the room, which was completely free from anything she might possibly bump into or hurt herself with, including other people besides himself. The girl stiffened, her entire body still with surprise, but she soon relaxed herself enough in his presence to continue speaking.

"I am a helpless little child," Toph said bitingly, a scowl now obviously present on her face. "A poor, defenselessly blind human ornament. Sheltered and fragile."

"Don't say it like that," he sighed. "You're making it sound like the truth."

"You agree with them, though, don't you?" she accused, her agitation making the rest of the rocks vibrate and clatter. "Even though you have no skill at earthbending, you still feel superior to me!"

Zuko regarded her placidly, stretching the moment a tad unnecessarily as he reviewed what he knew about her, and what he'd guessed for himself. The girl, breathing hard from her emotional outburst, awaited his response in a violent mood.

"No," he said finally, with strong conviction. "I do not."

Those truthful words, boldly spoken, had then unknowingly earned him an eternal friendship.

* * *

><p>Toph had been born prematurely, in her Earth Kingdom hometown of Gaoling, to Poppy and Lao Bei Fong. She made her entrance into a world of phantom luxury and a life of absolute darkness, being blind from creation and unable to appreciate the beauty of the wealth around her. Her parents doted on her with over protective devotion, and sheltered her from the harsh realities that existed outside the walls of their well-kept manor. At first, she didn't mind because she didn't know better, knowing nothing but her current way of life. It was only when her parents had distinguished guests over, who told stories of the wonderful majesty of the world and its amazing sights and phenomena, that she realized what she had truly lost out on. The blind girl would never be able to view the wonders that most people did, to connect with others on the same level, to do wildly fun things for the thrill of it, to be able to genuinely enjoy living like everyone else.. This ugly truth left a gaping, cavernous hole in her heart that never went away and ached with insatiable longing. Disillusioned and struck with the unfairness of it all, Toph's personality grew stubborn, defensive, and intolerant of all perceived slights. Her frustration reached new heights when her efforts to overcome her disability were not supported by her parents, and in a fit of fury she ran away.<p>

Despite being sightless, seemingly cursed with vision that was endlessly entrenched in shadow, she had located the entrance of a mountain cave in her angry flight and disappeared into its dark interior. It was there, crawling hastily and desperately holding back tears, that she had found the animal that would change her whole world as she perceived it. Her time with the badgermoles of the mountains was a time that she cherished most deeply, as it was the first instance in which she had connected with something that possessed the same exact condition as her. The same condition that had plunged all of her years in an unyielding black vacuum, devoid of light. The badgermoles were just as blind as she was, and through this mutual connection, they could easily understand each other. The Bei Fong heiress communicated to them her resentment and vexation with her handicap, and thus, in return, received invaluable instruction in earthbending from its most natural source. The day when everything became clear to her, that day when she grasped the way to see without sight for the first time.. the blind girl felt that empty space inside of her fill itself with warm, solid purpose. The giddy feeling of success and ecstasy she had embraced in that moment became her drug, her medicine, and her addiction. _This_ was her true calling... the meaning of her entire existence.

It might've been silly and naïve of Toph to believe that because of her new found skills, her life would be automatically righted and her competence acknowledged. Indeed, though her subsequent days and impressions of the world were profoundly changed from then on, nothing was truly different. Her parents remained oblivious and smothering, refusing to believe that she had risen above her unfortunate circumstances and turned her handicap into a dangerous advantage. Toph, growing up to be hard and rebellious, recognized wisely that their actions were done out of care. They did care for her, and she cared for them in exchange, but that did nothing to alter the fact that their actions continuously stunted and sabotaged her growth. It was clearly time to take matters into her own hands, and that was exactly what she did. Under the black veil of night, the Bei Fong heiress practiced her earthbending in utmost secrecy, honing her seismic sense as well as her other, unhindered senses. She became acutely aware of even the slightest movements from the vibrations in the earth beneath her feet, her hearing grew sharper and scarily accurate, and she mastered her own unique variation of earthbending with wondrous finesse. But regardless of her progress, Toph had ultimately resigned herself to a hidden existence behind the stone walls of the Gaoling manor.

That was, however, only until she discovered the thrill of battle. Gaoling, a rather prosperous Earth Kingdom town, was not without its own threats. There were many bands of rogues, thieves, and ambitious rebels who found the townsfolk to be good prey, and they were not always easily repelled. One day, a particularly smart group of bandits snuck into Toph's home, and then proceeded to try and ransack the place. Chaos had quickly erupted as the guards stationed around the grand house engaged the bandits, who proved too slippery and underhanded for them. Not one to simply sit there and allow things like this to happen right in front of her, the Bei Fong heiress waited until the last guard was knocked unconscious, and then unleashed the might of her earthbending prowess on every single one of the bandits. The fight was over in a flash, but the adrenaline that remained pumping in her veins had left her breathless and excited. In that moment, the only one still standing in the room surrounded by collapsed bodies on all sides, Toph decided she enjoyed fighting. If earthbending was her brush, then the battlefield was her canvas.

Her parents had returned home in record time, distraught and worried for the safety of their little flower, and the victory was attributed to the efforts of the guards. Poppy and Lao Bei Fong then swiftly upped the security, leaving their blind daughter with the best protection their money could buy on short notice. Toph, as a result, was forced to live in a gilded cage, feeling both confined and unfulfilled.

In her defense, she had tried to devise many ways to wrestle her way out of under the watchful eyes of her caretakers. She had, in the end, managed to convince her parents to let her take earthbending lessons with the resident academy owner Master Yu, in a plot to allow her more freedom and to show her parents just how good she was at earthbending. It was all for naught, however, because that long winded droopy idiot did not allow her to do anything beyond basic breathing exercises. This made her nearly scream in anger, and she jadedly observed that her life had so far been a lesson in futility.

Toph had been persevering in another agonizingly boring session with Master Yu when her routine was broken by something out of the ordinary. A new academy student that had absolutely no talent in earthbending, judging by the taunting and condescending words of the other pupils. Her interest peaked, the Bei Fong heiress had spied on the new guy from a distance, feeling his movements with intense concentration. It was not hard to distinguish him, because even in her black and darkened world, he burned brightly. His spirit was like a beacon, and though Toph personally agreed that he would never be a true earthbender.. she did not want to believe him to be totally hopeless. Able to view his efforts from a unique perspective, Toph cultivated a healthy awe of his skillful displays of mobility. Even if he had no talent, he had still managed to accurately express the true essence of earthbending.. and that accomplishment was something she respected.

Honestly, the blind girl had never expected to meet him personally, nor had she expected him to become her most treasured friend and confidant... but that was what happened. The way he had answered her questions with complete honesty, and without any ulterior motive, led her to place her trust him. Quietly, without either of them noticing it, they carved themselves permanent places in each others' lives.

* * *

><p>The two continued to meet for the rest of the month in the earthbending academy, and during that time they formed a great, inseparable friendship. It was not one forged out of pity or sympathy, but one created from mutual experience, understanding, and acceptance. Zuko, scorned by his father and looked down upon as a failure of a firebender, knew what it felt like to be underestimated and restricted. Toph herself knew the fire prince for what he was, but chose to acknowledge him for <em>who<em> he was, and did not pester him about his past. This the golden eyed teenager was immensely grateful for, and returned her belief in him by helping the blind girl with her advanced training. He had a fountain of ideas and new concepts, mostly dredged up from Iroh's many lectures, and offered helpfully unbiased observations.

They experimented with different types of earthbending, and by combining the kata styles of water (which they guessed from stories told by Iroh) and fire with earth, Toph was able to bend vegetation. She didn't like the non-confrontational aspect of the hybrid forms and wasn't very good at executing them, so she merely filed this information away into her brain for later use and quit while she was ahead. For her part, the Bei Fong heiress helped Zuko discover that he could firebend normally when enjoying a battle a bit too much. The fire prince normally did not relish fighting, but alongside Toph it could be rather fun at times. Together, they also drummed up several combo attacks, which Zuko thought were rather flashy. They succeeded at creating lava, sand, and glass by combining their elements, but not much else.

The golden eyed teenager also assisted his female friend in outright battle experience, providing a model firebender to help her get a feel for fighting someone from the Fire Nation and allowing her to devise a defense for his less powerful lightning strikes. In exchange, he learned tactics that were effective against earthbenders and thought up more versatile uses for his lightning, such as knockout fields and electric nets. Toph's speed and innate accuracy did not match his, but her ability to think quickly and logically under pressure improved dramatically in every spar. Both Zuko and Toph aided each other, learning from joint experience and the pooling their knowledge. They formed a type of seamless teamwork that would eventually be essential to their survival.


	8. Iroh, Spiritwise

**A/N: **I own nothing. This chapter may seem confusing, but it is completely necessary. You'll get to see what's happening with the Gaang, if distantly.. I'd also like to know your thoughts on who Zuko meets..

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Eight: **Iroh, Spiritwise

_Control your own destiny, or someone else will._

Zuko's uncle was, despite all impressions, a very private person. His ability to redirect questions rivaled his ability to redirect lightning, and he was a wily strategist of the mind and the tongue. No one had been able to boast of squeezing information out of the old veteran without suddenly realizing that they only knew what they did because he wanted them to. As a result, nobody really knew the inner workings of Iroh's mind, which was artfully protected from psychological dissection.. not even Zuko, who had the best experience in dealing with his uncle and could, at times, predict his moods. The main reason for this was the fact that the ex-general was a paranoid bastard, no matter if his smile and disposition attempted to convince you otherwise.

Iroh was also a superstitious man, indulging in stories of the mysterious and spiritual, and appearing to believe in fortunetelling and karma. Most people called him senile or decrepit, the poster child for the obsolete generation.. but truthfully, it was because the old general had a deep and absolute respect for the Spirit World. His strong belief and reverence stemmed from a world shifting experience that profoundly influenced his way of thinking. It involved one of the most challenging trials of his entire life.. a journey to the Spirit World, which gave Iroh the unique ability to see the denizens of the mythical, parallel universe from his place in the regular world. It was a type of ghostly sight that gave a whole new depth to his wisdom. The exact details surrounding the journey were kept tightly locked in the aged man's heart, never to be revealed to anyone.

It was this connection to the Spirit World that made Iroh privy to exclusive knowledge that came from the mouths of the governing spirits themselves, and it was this connection that led him to become aware of his nephew's destiny. From a young age, Zuko had been a curious sight, surrounded by transparent blue and white shapes that crowded around him and followed his footsteps like baby turtle ducklings. It had been rather cute at first, but then Iroh had realized the implications of this spiritual mob, and worried continuously over it. Spirits were attracted to people for a few reasons. One, the person in question displayed qualities that endeared certain spirits to them. Two, he or she had an incredibly important soul or past life. Three, he or she was subconsciously more aware of the other plane of existence than was strictly normal. Or four, and Iroh dreaded this one, the person was fated to endure one or more trials from the Spirit World.

Many months of agonizing later, the old general had finally convinced himself that the fourth possibility was the most likely one. His nephew Zuko was no valiant hero, no prince charming, and no ambitious antagonist. He had no idea that he was always surrounded by little nosy spirits, and even though Iroh knew that his prince would eventually become something great, he was not very sure of the third possibility. The logic for this was disrupted by the presence of Avatar Roku's dragon, often seated in the turtle duck pond where Ursa and Zuko spent their days.. but nevertheless..

The spirits had eventually left the Fire Nation prince as he grew older, and only one had remained. Nearly a decade later, upon witnessing his nephew bridge the gap between the different elements with his new best friend Toph Bei Fong, the old general resigned himself to guiding Zuko into the Spirit World. It was with this resolution in mind that Iroh requested his treasured second son to spend a day with him.

"Zuko," said Iroh the next day, seated comfortably on the only chair in his nephew's room, while the nephew in question sat on the hard bed a foot or two away. "What I'm about to tell you is of sensitive nature.. and I only ask that you listen with an open mind."

The black haired, golden eyed youth stared at his uncle with an unwavering gaze that seemed to say, _Try me._ And try he did. In the old general's opinion, Zuko took his words quite well, albeit with a strange, disgruntled expression the entire time. It seemed he was adverse to the thought of having had multiple spirits as playmates. The aged firebending master chuckled inwardly at the adorable expression on his nephew's face, before voicing the most important part of this discussion.

"Zuko," Iroh said, with uncertain gentleness. "In light of all this.. will you allow me to take you to the Spirit World, in mind only, to see if any trials await?"

* * *

><p>Zuko, as someone more inclined to be rational and logical, was a naturally doubtful person when it came to things like gods, spirits, fate, and the supernatural. However, he was also someone born with an innate sense of respect for the incomprehensible and unexplainable, and growing up with his uncle allowed him to take in this most recent revelation without much inner turmoil. Sure, it seemed so surreal, but Iroh was not one to lie outright, especially to his own nephew. The talk about his trials made him a little apprehensive, and he was immediately wary of facing the challenges the Spirit World had cooked up for him. Zuko had still agreed to his uncle's well intentioned trip, and as the old general placed two weathered fingers in the middle of his forehead, the only thing he could perceive was a pale blue light and a strange, airy numbness.<p>

The next thing the fire prince knew, he was standing at a crossroads. Many dirt paved paths, worn from use, stretched from beneath him in all sorts of random directions. Only three, however, were unbarred and possible to travel on, and they glowed eerily. He was confused on what to do next, but then his mind shifted suddenly and he was, without warning, face to face with himself. Initially, Zuko thought he was looking at a mirror.. but if it was a mirror, the other him would have to look exactly the same, only with opposite sided features. The Zuko in front of him had his scar on the right, which would actually be his left, and the customary hairstyle of Fire Nation royalty. This Zuko was also dressed in the armored regalia of a Fire Nation soldier. It was confusing, but the golden eyed teenager knew that what he saw was not a reflection. It was something entirely different, and this impression only solidified when the other Zuko growled in anger.

"What? Where is this?" it demanded, its face twisted into a fierce frown. "Who are you?" The look-alike started to pace back and force without waiting for an answer, its hands gripped in fists and its body riddled with impatient tension. It stopped abruptly and whipped back to face him, an accusing expression of distaste on its face. "You're supposed to be me aren't you?"

"I don't know," replied the fire prince with an unruffled air and a hint of interest.

"Well, you're not a very good copy," sneered the look-alike, straightening itself and walking closer to Zuko. "I mean, look at you.. what have you done to your hair? And what in the world are you wearing? Such common clothes.. where is your pride as Fire Nation royalty?"

"I have no use for something as worthless as pride," Zuko answered calmly, glancing away to look at the Spirit World scenery in more detail. This conversation was going to be rather tiring, he could already tell.

"Pride is everything!" it yelled, seemingly even less patient than before. "Pride is our purpose! Pride is what we want to make our father feel when he looks upon us once more! Pride is what we will regain when we bring the Avatar to him, and return to our rightful place as Crown Prince! With pride comes honor! _Our_ honor!"

"What a pitiful existence I would be, if that were true," the black haired teenager said, and his cold scrutiny made the look-alike flinch away. "Tell me, where is your mind?"

"My mind?" it snarled, quickly disguising its discomfort. "Stop talking so cryptically.. If we're asking each other questions now, here's mine. Where is your anger? Where is the passion and fury and purpose that guides us..me.._you_! Where is it?"

"It's right here," motioned Zuko, placing a pale faded hand directly above his heart. "Right here, deep down.. So deep, I almost cannot find it. It is better that way, for everybody." The fire prince leaned forward, his amber-gold stare fixed on his other self. "You have not answered _my _question. Where is your mind?"

"Like I said, stop talking so cryptically," it growled, unable to understand. "You remind me too much of my uncle."

"Where is your mind?" the lightning wielder repeated, with a voice as even as a perfect balance. "You, obviously, do not own it. Letting yourself be so deceived and disillusioned, so dependent upon the pride that you have already lost.."

"Don't patronize me! I _will_ capture the Avatar.. I _will_ have my honor back!" it cried, like a dying music box that could only play one tune.

"Your mind, your sense of self.. it must have been locked away somewhere," Zuko continued, raising his voice to be heard above the ranting of the copy. "Imprisoned by chains of your own making, gathering dust.. never to be used until you wake up and think for yourself."

"Shut up!" it screamed, with a howl consumed by an eternal anger that refused to burn out. "Shut up! What would you know?"

"I know I am glad," the golden eyed prince commented with a small frown, "that I did not turn out like you did. Maybe, you should think your life over. Right now, compared to you, I am so much happier... so much more fulfilled. Simply.. so much _more_. Don't you want to be happy?"

"Seems like you're the one with your priorities mixed up," the look-alike said scornfully, with a breathless sort of demeanor. It started to turn away and walked down the nearest pathway leading west. "Something like happiness.. I have no desire for it. Pride and honor are everything to me. Everything!" Its figure disappeared into the distance with those parting words, and Zuko was left gazing after it, feeling even more confused himself. Was.. was that really him? Was that what he could have turned into?

_Yessssss_, the breeze seemed to whisper. _A more extreme example... another world, another you..._

The black haired teenager frowned as the wind seemed to laugh around him. _Choose, little flame. Choose your path wisely.. one has already been taken._ Sure enough, the path the other Zuko had taken was gone, and the only choices he now had for himself were directly in front of him. Two roads, angled in opposite directions, invited him onto their dirt packed lanes with promises of clear, easy traveling. However, even though the fire prince was a person that preferred the path of no confrontation and did not like to argue, the fact that his destiny would be planned out for him no matter what road he took.. that was something he could not stomach obediently.

Zuko ignored the fleeting words of the air and began his journey right smack in the middle between the two walkways, stepping into Spirit World vegetation with single-minded stubbornness. The breeze convulsed with hysterical giggles, but soon that was swept away by a louder, more solid sounding voice. It was high and thin, and sounded rather old.

_"Hahahahaha!"_ Something sailed over his head in a flash of color, and revealed itself to be a decorative mask. It was blue and white, resembling the face of an amused aquatic demon with a laughing mouth and two curved tusk-like fangs. The mask floated in mid air for a moment, surrounded by cloth-like layers of transparent grey_, _before being seemingly sucked into the shell necklace Zuko wore around his neck with a bright flash. When it was gone, the teenager could no longer see the ground beneath his feet, and everything around him quickly dissolved away, returning to a familiar empty white. The endless expanse of light engulfed his entire being, and he felt himself become weightless seconds before all thought and feeling evaded him.

The amber eyed fire prince woke up instantaneously, his heart thudding rapidly in his chest, and his brow dripping with cold sweat. Iroh hovered at the edge of his vision, a blur of different shades of brown and white, while he tried to make sense of his swaying surroundings. There was a muffled sound near his ear, with indistinguishable pitches.. and then, darkness.

* * *

><p>The next couple of afternoons were spent going over Zuko's memories of his trip to the Spirit World with obsessive attention to detail. It was hard to figure out what exactly had been accomplished, speaking to his counterpart from another universe, but Iroh swore that he had succeeded in his first trial. The fire prince was not too convinced, but he returned to his daily routine with Toph relatively easily, though he did share his experiences with the young earthbending master. She dismissed them and told him not to worry, being a down-to-earth type of girl and possessing a firm independent streak. Her disregard helped calm his nervous doubts, and the scarred teenager soon put his concerns behind him, opting to spend his brain power learning a useful new technique that scrambled the nerves and body's electric signals. It rendered a person unable to move properly, and would probably be invaluable against other benders.<p>

In this way, he occupied himself while Iroh became rather busy for some reason, intercepting several Fire Nation messages within a very small time frame.

"Zuko," the old general said urgently one night, when the fire prince was bandaging his scrapes and bruises from the day's sparring in the privacy of his room. "Commander Zhao has launched an attack on the Northern Water Tribe! It is a full blown invasion!"

The golden eyed teenager looked up from what he was doing, mildly shocked. "What is Zhao doing at the North Pole?"

"He had been sent by your father to capture the Avatar, and has chased him as far as the North Pole," Iroh said with quiet intensity. "Do you realize what this means? The Avatar has once again appeared in the world. Have you still the wish to fulfill Ozai's mission and return to the palace?"

"No, uncle, I–" Zuko was cut off as his usual headache flared up violently, his mind filling with flashbacks of the other him and his meeting in the Spirit World. His shell necklace started to vibrate, glowing a familiar white-blue color. The fire prince gripped his head with one hand, and time seemed to slow down as the moon outside bled red, dipping the world in a foreboding crimson hue. Iroh gazed at the unnatural night sky, an expression of complete horror crossing his face, and froze.

"No!" he cried, in a terrible whisper. "No.. Zhao must have murdered the spirit of the Moon, that fool! The balance of the world has been disrupted.. I must do something, lest it be too late..!" Then the old general's eyes became unfocused, his breathing slackened, and his large figure crumpled to the floor. His nephew barely managed to catch him with his free hand before his body hit the ground, and a low, frightened shout joined the screams of the townspeople in Gaoling.

_"Uncle!"_


	9. Earth Rumble VI

**A/N: **I own nothing. The last chapter's cliffhanger shall never be continued, and only hinted at later on.. I'm sure you can guess what happened, anyway. This chapter takes place around two weeks later.

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Nine: **Earth Rumble VI

_Finding oneself is the quest of a lifetime._

Zuko, standing in a slightly crouched position in the middle of an empty field, waited cautiously for another attack from Toph, who was positioned out of range, at a distance. Fighting an earthbender was one of the most annoying things to do, simply because their attacks could come from anywhere. No matter where you stood, danger lurked beneath your feet and on all sides. Surrounded by dormant enemies, you had to be hypersensitive to any changes in the environment, like even the most minute tremble in the ground or the slightest motion of your opponent (though Toph, taking advantage of her lack of need for sight, had hidden herself in a fortress of stone, so he couldn't predict her strikes based on her movements). The smallest crumbling sound or the tiniest rustle in the breeze could signal an incoming attack. Miss it, and you might just get a faceful of hard rock.

Fortunately for the fire prince, he had a single advantage that he planned to make great use of in this spar. Toph knew when and how her opponent moved through her honed seismic sense and could retaliate by using that information to get a step ahead of him or her.. but what if the opponent _didn't_ move? The black haired youth had been practicing how to expel lightning through his feet without giving any sign that he was going to attack, launching a deceptive offense by simply standing there and channeling electric energy. Zuko performed this attack in an instant, and when he heard Toph give a shaky yelp, he wasted no time in closing the distance and drawing his twin swords. However, when he had sliced through the earthen wall shielding the Bei Fong heiress, she was already waiting for him. The blind girl smirked and suddenly a huge boulder flew straight at him, though the fire prince noted that her movements were rather shaky and slow. He crossed his blades like an X in front of his chest, and the steel of the swords took most of the rocky blow. He flew back from the sheer force of it and then, uncrossing his swords, flipped himself into a defensive stance, preparing for a larger onslaught.

Zuko forced himself to relax when he saw that Toph was no longer interested in continuing. She was flexing her wrists and ankles with mild curiosity.

"What was that?" she scowled, "Don't tell me it was an improvised knock-out field?"

The golden eyed teenager smiled briefly, slumping to the ground in a bruised heap. "Not quite so improvised, but that's the gist of it."

"You didn't even move," Toph said, frowning and crossing her arms. "That was what surprised me..."

"I try," Zuko replied blandly, glancing at the blind heiress for a moment. He then sat up and leaned on his palms, staring mournfully at his extremely dirty clothes. Time to do laundry.. "But I was surprised too. I didn't think you'd be ready for me after that attack. You were still suffering its effects."

"Hah! After fighting you for so long, being electrocuted once is nothing," she bragged, with a conspiratory shit-eating grin on her face. "Though, I know you well enough to reinforce all of the earth and stone around me to be semi-impervious to electric currents before I do anything else."

"Oh? Really now.." The fire prince smiled darkly, with a pleasant expression that promised retribution. "Guess I should up the ante from now on."

"Bring it, Sparky," taunted Toph, tossing her ornamented head in an arrogantly confident fashion. Zuko grimaced slightly at the nickname and then attempted to change the topic, wary that she'd get too creative with it.

"Hmph," he frowned, not that she could really see his expression. "Are you still going to participate in_ Earth Rumble VI? _It won't even be a challenge for you."

She smirked. "Of course. I have to defend my title, yeah? And besides, who knows what sort of moron I'll get to face this time. If it's that loser the Boulder, I can't wait to make him eat dirt!"

Rolling his eyes, the dark teenager brushed the dust off of his clothes and stood up, sheathing both of his twin blades in a smooth motion. "Alright alright. I'll see you later, oh great Blind Bandit."

"Stuff it, I _like_ that pseudonym!"

* * *

><p>Zuko stretched his arms above his head and yawned, trying to loosen his muscles after a couple of hours spent doing nothing but breathing exercises and meditation. His so-called "lessons" with Master Yu had continued long past the original month, if only so he had an excuse to see Toph everyday without the presence of guards or the need to sneak out. Today, he had been a little preoccupied in his own corner and as a result had lost track of time, staying about an hour later than all the other students. Walking leisurely back to the inn, he turned down an alley and was met with a very strange sight. The walkway was blocked by two of his fellow earthbending students, who were suspended horizontally in midair and encased by a thick layer of ice. Only their struggling heads were visible, and when they saw Zuko rounding the corner they immediately tried to cajole him into helping them.<p>

"Ahh! Zuko!" they cried. "Please get us out of here!" The fire prince raised an eyebrow at their predicament, finding it to be quite amusing. These particular boys were the most vocal of his schoolyard antagonists, and they never wasted a chance to put him down or rub his failures in his face.. not that it really bothered him. After all, he wasn't even an earthbender, and he could still beat them during class spars.

"What happened to you guys?" he asked, eying the ice, which was giving off cold mist, with some surprise. The irregularity of this whole incident could mean only one thing.. there was a waterbender in town. A reckless and young one without much discipline, for no well trained bender would wield their elements so rashly against a bunch of adolescents, especially not in the middle of a town. Besides, these guys weren't strong at all.. you didn't even need bending to teach them a lesson. "Pissed someone off lately?"

"Lay off," one grumbled, trying his best to squeeze out of the restricting ice and grimacing as all of his attempts failed pitifully. "We were caught off guard, that's all! It was this brown skinned girl! She suddenly attacked us, just because we didn't want to tell her about _Earth Rumble VI!_"

The dark haired lightning user frowned, his mind juggling the threat level of the unknown girl up and down. Brown skin.. that made it someone from either the Northern or Southern Water Tribes, and not an Earth Kingdom waterbender. So an unrestrained, foreign bender looking for a way into _Earth Rumble VI_.. he should probably warn Toph and then be done with it. She could handle anything that came her way.. he didn't really need to worry...

"Hey man, are you going to help us or what?" the other boy asked a bit impatiently, having gotten tired of watching Zuko stand and think for over a minute.

"Hm?" the golden eyed teenager glanced at them dismissively before smirking. "Alright. You ready for it?"

"H-Huh?" the frozen earthbenders stared up at him nervously, feeling a bit of dread in the pits of their stomachs. Zuko smirking was never a good thing. "What are you–! Ahhhhh!"

The boy's strangled cry was abruptly cut off as the fire prince swung his foot up vertically into the air in an amazing display of flexibility, and dropped it down with crushing force. The heavy blow easily shattered the ice into millions of glittering shards, and continued to connect to the back of his fellow student's shoulders, knocking the breath out of the earthbender. With its opposite support now gone, the ice covering the other boy's body fell apart after a few moments and he scrambled to catch his fall.

"You two owe me," Zuko said, brushing past their fallen forms and resuming his walk back to the inn, acting as if he hadn't just drop kicked someone rather viciously. And to be honest, he wasn't too interested in getting caught up with another bender, especially one that caused so much trouble. Hopefully, they wouldn't have anything to do with each other, and the girl would leave town soon.

Ah, but his luck has never been good, has it?

* * *

><p>Zuko settled himself down in the third row of the <em>Earth Rumble<em> arena's spectator seats, right next to his uncle, who had brought an entire pot of steaming tea along with him. He crossed his arms and sighed, resigned to a boring show until Toph's turn came up and she showed them who was boss around here. The last _Earth Rumble_ he'd been to had been great, because Toph had fought in all of the rounds and won every single one of them, gaining a place as the tournament's ultimate "dark horse". This time, as the previous champion, she'd only fight in the finals.

The fire prince watched the initial battles with a bored look on his face, which was only replaced by an extremely annoyed expression when Fire Nation Man came into the picture.

"Uncle," the black haired youth said calmly. "Can we kill him?"

"No, Zuko," Iroh replied cheerfully, sipping some of his tea with great relish. "He's just there to create enthusiasm. A subtle move to manipulate the crowd, you see."

Zuko looked over the offending contestant once more, just as Fire Nation Man was defeated quite soundly. "_Ah_, I see." His voice gained an amused tone and he glanced at his uncle surreptitiously. "Looks like Zhao doesn't he? Only fatter. How satisfying."

The old general shook his head in exasperation, but secretly smiled into his teacup.

The rest of the tournament progressed predictably, with the latest sensation Xin Fu had been promoting for a while, the Boulder, defeating all of his opponents. His style of earthbending was mainly powerbased and straight-forward, effectively simple without wasting too much movement. He was good, but his stage personality left something to be desired... Zuko tried to ignore his uncle's chuckles at every horrible earth-related pun, but it was rather difficult.

Eventually, it was Toph's turn to shine. She walked onto the platform in her disguise, which was deceptively uncomplicated, and commanded the scene with an air of complete confidence and a bold, sarcastic tongue capable of whiplash. The golden eyed prince watched her with a slight smile on his face, appreciating her finely tuned earthbending skills as she thrashed the Boulder in only two moves. She was a true flower among a field of muscly brutes. Well...not really a flower. More like a very deadly, possibly poisoned dagger among butter knives, he amended wisely.

When Xin Fu, the business savvy host, announced a twist to the end of the tournament, Zuko was surprised when someone actually took his challenge. A sack of gold for defeating Toph? That sack of gold would probably find its use paying for the hospital fees of the idiot that had just accepted. The black haired teenager readjusted his dark blue head cloth to see better, and nearly fell out of his stone seat in shock. The boy that had volunteered was about the same age as Toph, and on his bare arms and legs were pale blue arrow tattoos.

"Would you look at that, my dear nephew!" Iroh laughed, setting down his now empty cup. "What a coincidence, don't you think? The Avatar, here in Gaoling!"

_No,_ Zuko thought. This was no coincidence. He fixed his gaze on the Avatar's companions, who were seated in the front row, and sure enough, there was a dark skinned girl in Water Tribe clothing.. as well as a matching boy with a ponytail. There was his mysterious waterbender. Really, they weren't much younger than he was! The fire prince frowned at that. Imagine, the fate of the world, resting on the shoulders of a bunch of kids.. And, based on this unflattering first impression, he didn't think any of them would be able to defeat his father.

* * *

><p>Standing in the Earth Rumble arena, basking in victory and the cheers of the crowd, Toph smiled to herself. This was what she lived for, this recognition, this adrenaline rush.. Her moment was cut short, however, when someone actually fell for Xin Fu's dramatic ploy. The blind girl smirked briefly, tensing as her opponent walked onto the platform with her. Judging by his high pitched voice, the size of his stride, the impact of his feet on the ground, and his height.. it was a young boy, probably her age, that weighed less than normal. Toph threw a few taunts at him, but the boy seemed to be too optimistic and naïve to react to any of them.<p>

"I don't really want to fight you," he implored, shifting his feet anxiously. "I just want to talk to you about something."

She ignored him. If he didn't want to fight, why did he step into arena? The boy mistook her silence as acceptance and moved forward, and the Bei Fong heiress snatched the opportunity to strike, her foot sliding against the floor in a lightning fast attack. _Thank you, Zuko_. The boy jumped up to evade getting thrown out of the ring, and she detected something abnormal about the amount of time it took him to come back to the ground. Too light, too soft. Maybe the boy was doing something to lessen gravity? Hmm, that didn't sound plausible.. Her attention was diverted as he landed and started speaking again, and Toph wasted no time in lashing out, both verbally and physically. Once more, the boy dodged and did his little fancy lightweight trick that left him in the air about 5 seconds longer than should be strictly possible. This time, the blind girl was sharply observant and her ears caught an almost silent displacement in the breeze. Her eyes widened. This guy was no earthbender.

Armed with this new discovery, when she launched a huge boulder in his direction, her concentration was evenly divided between using seismic sense and detecting any changes in the air. The boy blasted her rock back at her, but the incoming gust of wind was betrayed by the shifting of the air currents. Toph expertly avoided getting blown off the platform by forming a solid rock wall, and an evil grin spread across her face. If he wanted to play _that_ way... She returned the wall to the floor, and spread her feet in a firmly balanced stance, raising her arms in tandem, with the palms facing the ground. Her hands began to tremble with controlled power, and suddenly she pulled them back to her chest and bent down, slamming her feet together. A huge wave of dirt appeared in front of her, like an airborne landslide, and sent the boy flying out of the arena. The fight was over.

_I still win_, Toph thought as she held up the champion's belt for everyone to see. After the cheering died down, she started to head out, knowing that she'd want to head home quick in time for the guards' shift change.

"Wait!" the familiar voice of the boy she had just faced sounded behind her. "Please, listen! I need an earthbending teacher, and I think it's supposed to be you!"

The blind heiress scoffed, not bothering to stop or turn around and face him. "Leave me alone! You're not an earthbender, anyway!" Tuning out the rest of his protests, she left by making a door in the nearest stone wall and shutting it rudely. From there, as Toph exited the earthen building, the tall wiry figure of Zuko fell into step beside her. Iroh followed at a more sedate pace, humming a song in the darkness and swinging his empty teapot absently.

"That last fight," the fire prince said, getting straight to the point, "was against an airbender."

"I _knew_ that fancy dancer wasn't an earthbender," she scowled, marching a little faster. "but to think, an airbender? You mean that twinkle-toed pansy I just fought was the Avatar?"

"Yes," Zuko answered. "The waterbender I warned you about was one of his companions. I suspect he wants to learn earthbending, but needs a specific teacher."

"...Well," Toph said flatly, after a short pause. "Beggars can't be choosers."


	10. Enter The Gaang

**A/N: **I own nothing. I apologize if I haven't replied to your reviews. The links in my email still don't work, and the alternate way confuses me.. I don't remember who I've replied to and who I haven't, so I just decided not to continue until I was sure. Aha..

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter Ten: **Enter The Gaang

_Man is the riddle of the universe._

The next day dawned restlessly, and as Zuko gazed at the strange, fire red color of the horizon, he was struck with the realization that things wouldn't be the same anymore. The presence of the Avatar ensured that, one way or another, Toph would be dragged into an epic conflict between two great, heavenly forces. His mouth curved downwards, and he began to systematically sharpen his twin swords with a special, unique whetstone taken from a deep pit in the world's hottest volcano. The steady, repetitive sound of sharpening steel, a mix between a hiss and a clang, echoed in the room and sang like a wave. The familiar noise calmed the fire prince down and honed his concentration to a fine point, his cold golden eyes gazing intently at the gleaming silver blades. At this point, the only thing he could do was make sure that Toph joined on her own time, and through her own, unforced decision. With this duty in mind, the black haired youth continued to care for his swords while making plans to visit the Bei Fong mansion in the evening.

It was early in the afternoon when he put away his tools with a satisfied air, having gone on a rather zealous and time consuming maintenance check of all of his equipment. Everything was now in perfect working order, ready to be used at any moment. Zuko stole a rice cake from his uncle's teatime snack plate as he walked out, and headed towards Master Yi's Earthbending Academy, knowing he was probably already late for lessons. His pace was slow but measured, and he halted outside the decorated gates of the academy when he heard urgent voices drifting from inside. The fire prince tilted his head to one side as he caught part of the conversation. It seemed the Avatar and his friends were putting in an effort to search for Toph... the amber eyed teenager decided to intervene when he recognized the two students they were talking to, and distinctly heard the words _"Bei Fong family"_.

"Hey," he said pointedly, climbing the steps up to the entrance and standing behind the five arguing figures. His tone was purposefully reprimanding. "What's with all this ruckus?"

Earthbending idiot A and Earthbending idiot B, the same duo he had saved from the ice entrapment the other day, gaped at him from behind their practice vases of rocky soil. The Avatar, now dressed conspicuously in his Air Nomad temple clothing, whirled around to face Zuko.

"Ah!" cried Idiot A, waving his skinny arms around frantically. "It's not us, we swear. These guys suddenly barged in here and started saying things!" He pointed towards the brown skinned girl in a thick blue dress, who was staring at him with slight wariness. "See, it's that scary waterbending she-devil we were telling you about!"

"Waterbending she-devil...?" whispered the Water Tribe boy, with a trembling expression of shocked glee. His blue eyes were wide and had an awed quality to them. The girl started to glare something fierce, and her shoulders shook with barely suppressed rage.

Zuko glanced wearily at the scene in front of him. _Ho boy..._

* * *

><p>Aang was a flighty person, naturally inclined to become both interested and disinterested in something within a small interval of time, or even simultaneously within a single instant. His moods were mercurial, and he submitted willingly to his every sudden impulse and random whim. It was a habit of his to be airy and carefree, to act as if his head were in the clouds, and he couldn't help thinking that way, just like he couldn't help being an airbender.<p>

The wind always brought something new every time it caressed his cheeks, and there was too much to hear and smell and learn all at once.. If you stopped to take a breath, or paused to take a break, you'd miss a million important details that you'd never have the chance to take in again. His mind was always going with the flow, reveling in the breezy experience. The Avatar's world was a blurry painting of colors, smudged with speed and blended haphazardly together into something unique and abstract. His view of the universe was equally vibrant and fleeting, wondrous and childish, enthralling and innocent.

Aang's time with Katara and Sokka had tempered his personality to a more tolerantly animated level, but he'd still had a hard time paying attention or taking things seriously. It was only until after the invasion of the North that he had realized the gravity of the situation, and the terrifying consequences of his own irresponsible actions. He knew then, without a doubt, that he was truly the Avatar, and the 12 year old had struggled to wrap his brain around this fact and the baggage that came with it. After all, Avatar or not, what could a child like him do against someone that many people, more skilled and experienced than he, had fought and lost? What could _he_ do against the great evil of war? Against the well oiled Fire Nation machine?

Nevertheless, he had tried his best to blast away these doubts and fit into the role of a hero. It was like wearing clothes that were too big for him, clothes that kept slipping off at every movement... but slowly, and surely, he felt that he was growing into them. It was this blooming sense of worthiness that led him to begin to throw himself into his mission to save the world and learn all of the elements. His desire to prove himself became his driving force, and his two new friends were his priceless pillars of support. Under their loyal aegis, he had set out on his world changing journey with a smile and a laugh.

This new sense of obligation was what made him treat anything that could help him in his quest to become the Avatar with close scrutiny. His vision in the Swamp was pondered over continuously, rolled between his mental fingers and thoughts until it became smooth and familiar, like a rock in a river. He had studied it endlessly, remembering partial details in his every spare moment. A giggling girl with a mocking laugh and wide, blind eyes. A flying boar. A man with half of his face covered by an eerie blue mask. A pair of dark wings. These images were jumbled together, twisted and warped, mixed and mashed in the hallucinogenic mists of the Swamp. He hadn't known what to think of it before he had met the Blind Bandit during_ Earth Rumble VI_. After the fight, when he had gotten unceremoniously blown off the arena platform, the meaning of the vision had become startlingly clear. He had witnessed firsthand the Blind Bandit's terrene prowess at bending. Her skill had been bare, original, and wickedly effective, and he had momentarily recalled his old friend Bumi's words.

_"You need to find someone who waits, and listens, before striking," the crazy king instructed, smiling offhandedly from his metal prison._

Aang felt obligated to find her, and learn from her, just as he had learned from the air around him. She was the only one, he thought, that would be able to train him in earthbending. He probably wouldn't find anyone else like her, she who was so raw and refined at the same time. Spurred by this belief and by their discovery of her, he searched for information about her whereabouts along with his two treasured companions. It was Katara that had thought up the idea of asking around the local earthbending academy, and coincidentally, they happened upon the two boys Aang had met earlier during his trial lesson. For some reason, they were adverse to answering questions, especially those that were asked by Katara, and things quickly degraded into a clash of tempers. The Avatar had almost begun to despair ever finding his fated earthbending teacher in Gaoling when a low, resonant voice cut through the tension like a deadly knife through butter.

It was a voice that send shudders down his spine, and raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He turned swiftly around, almost instinctively, to face the newcomer that was walking up the steps behind them. The voice belonged to a tall figure with wild black hair in a long wolf cut, deep gold and piercingly narrow eyes, and a dark blue cloth wrapped around his head... an older teenager with an alert posture, who held himself with a dangerous lightness. Curiously, this teenager resembled the one from his hazy dream in the Swamp. Aang let the wind flow over him, let it whisper its secrets and findings in his ear. The black haired youth smelled faintly of ozone, gave off a large amount of excess heat, and had an invisibly charged aura that rippled and contracted like a beating heart. This information, taken from the breeze, was quietly filed away for a later time, when he could better understand what it told him. The intimidating boy's gaze was icy, lit with the coldest fire, and the Avatar did not fault himself for feeling both apprehension and excitement boiling in his veins as he lifted his own gray eyes to meet it.

* * *

><p>"Control yourselves, will you?" Zuko drawled, raising an eyebrow at the group. "It's way too early to start arguing..." He then stifled a yawn, and Earthbending Idiot B sneered quietly.<p>

"In case you haven't noticed," Idiot B said sarcastically, scrunching up his nose and leaning on his practice vase. "It's not early at all. It's past noon!"

"How unfortunate," the fire prince lamented almost comically, shrugging and quirking a slight smile, "that the world is defined in terms made by the most mediocre of people. Isn't it a shame? To you, it's noon. To me, it's early."

"Why don't you stuff it, Zuko?" snapped Idiot A, crossing his arms. "I don't want to hear about mediocrity from a failure like you."

The black haired lightning user shook his head exasperatingly and started to walk away, waving a hand behind him in lazy salute. The loose parts of the dark blue cloth wrapped around his head trailed in his wake, and for the first time, his twin swords were fully visible, strapped on his back in their dark scabbards. The three outsiders, remaining at the academy, watched his exit silently before turning to the two earthbending students with slightly interested expressions.

"Who was _that_?" muttered Katara, glancing at Idiot A and Idiot B with a look promising pain if they didn't answer. They flinched, paling as they realized they had just lost their protection from her waterbending threats.

"Whoever he was," Sokka said, with an appreciative whistle, "he knew how to make an entrance.. and an exit." The boomerang wielding hunter frowned enviously, and contemplated wearing a cape to create his own charismatic exit effect.

"Hmph," Idiot A said finally, going back to thrusting his fingers into the rocky soil held in the vase. The earthbending student stared sulkily downwards as he completed his exercise. "_That_ was Zuko. Resident loser of Master Yi's academy. He's no good at earthbending. He doesn't know when to quit and has been taking lessons for the past year and a half."

"Huh?" Aang looked surprised. "But.. he doesn't seem like a loser... not with that demeanor."

"Yeah well, what he loses in earthbending, he makes up for in spades with his athletic ability and talent for fighting, especially with those impossibly durable twin swords of his," admitted Idiot B, a bit resentfully. "He's also, literally, incredibly strong."

"But don't tell him we told you that," Idiot A warned as he made a disgusted face. "Compared to us, he's just a desperate 'normal'."

"'Normal?'" asked Sokka, not liking how the term was put negatively. The Water Tribe boy scowled as he thought of his days back in the Southern tribe, where Katara was the only waterbender.

"Ah, 'normal' is the term used for nonbenders," Idiot A clarified, a bit condescendingly. The two earthbending students exchanged a look, and, grabbing the large skinny vases, began to leave. They were gone in moments, grumbling noises following them as they moved out of sight.

"Aang, what do _you_ think?" Katara asked, always one to be inclusive and listen to the Avatar's thoughts. She felt that the excitable airbender should become familiar with the concept of making decisions and being in a position of power, even if he was the youngest and most impressionable. She was also a very fair person, believing in equality and opportunity.

"I.. I don't know," sighed Aang, frustrated. "That guy, Zuko, seemed a lot like the one in my vision.. the one with the blue half mask. And the Blind Bandit was definitely the laughing girl. Maybe it's all connected." His eyes grew determined as he spoke. "We should check out what leads we have. Remember what those boys said earlier, about the flying boar and the Bei Fong family?"

"Good idea," the Southern waterbender grinned, her watery blue eyes energized. "Let's visit the Bei Fong family home and see what we find."


	11. A Mental Divide

**A/N: **I own nothing.. Some of you asked for more Toph and Zuko moments, so here you go. I wanted to show how they've changed slightly thanks to each other... and I'm going on vacation in a week (plus its finals!), so updates will stop for some time. My apologies.

**Cold Thunder**

**Chapter 11: **A Mental Divide

_The most difficult obstacle is a choice._

"How about that one on your left, about 100 meters north west?" Zuko specified later that day, sitting lazily next to a concentrating Toph on a secret hill overlooking the town. The girl had her eyebrows scrunched up and furrowed as she she rapidly fired off adjectives, "Tall, a little overweight, has a slight limp, right handed, male!"

"Hmm, your accuracy is getting better, and so is your range," the fire prince admitted, the younger girl's demeanor brightening significantly at her success. "Try 97 meters south east."

"Easy! Short, small build, scrawny, male, quite young, right handed," she chanted quickly. "He's playing earth soccer."

Zuko nodded, and then switched tactics. "Approaching a market stall at 50 meters, tell me his age, his health, his personality, and his looks."

The blind heiress struggled for a moment, the exercise being something he had just introduced a few days ago. She already had a good grasp on it though, and answered slowly, trying to discern the man-in-question's voice as it carried to her ears in waves of sound, "Most likely in his thirties. He seems very strict with high expectations. Straight backed with proper posture, a middle class man who lives rather comfortably. He's more tired than usual, but pretty healthy... judging by his voice he has a few wrinkles and a small nose... uhhh.."

"Good," Zuko said, with an amused half smile. "If you need to identify someone to another person, that is more than enough to go by."

Toph grinned suddenly after a pause, a malicious light in her eyes. "Why, Snappy, I didn't know you were such a voyeur! Trying to use me to commit your crimes?"

The fire prince choked on his words momentarily, and then glared at the earthbender with an annoyed frown on his face. Tyr chattered in what seemed like laughter on his shoulder. "I am not!"

"I dunno," she replied, tilting her head in mock innocence. "That sounds awfully like you're in denial.." Zuko stilled, and then suddenly lunged at her, his eyes playfully narrowed. Toph snickered as she retaliated with earthbending, having achieved her goal of a friendly spar. It wasn't for some time that they both collapsed in exhaustion on the hard dirt ground, wearily watching the clouds as they passed by. A breeze swirled around in the swaying grasses, creating a soft susurration that sounded breathlessly in their ears. The fire prince listened, suddenly contemplative, as he remembered his first official meeting with the Avatar.

"Hey Toph," he said, closing his eyes as if resigned.

"What?" she demanded swiftly, tucking back any stray strands of hair that had fallen out of her headdress during the fight. The blind girl smoothed out her clothes and brushed off the more conspicuous smudges of dirt, tucking in the folds of the cloth while she prepared to go home. "Finally willing to admit your inadequacies? Feeling insufficient in comparison to me? If that's your confession then save it. I already know." She finished this statement with a toss of her head, and a sly, cocky smile.

In response, Zuko moved quickly, faster than she could avoid him at this distance, and slid his arms under her armpits from behind, leaving her unable to use her upper limbs. Toph flailed a little at the sudden restraint before smirking, her voice gaining a taunting ring to it.

"That the best you can do? Maybe I should change your nickname to Sissy!"

The fire prince's demeanor darkened, his golden eyes flashing with deviousness. "Time for payback, _Princess_. Tyr, let her have it!" The weasel-bat, snapping to attention at its name, gave a fanged grin and leapt, flapping its leathery wings as it landed on Toph's shoulder and proceeded to nuzzle and lick her face. The Bei Fong heiress yelped in surprise at the feel of the raspy, wet tongue and started struggling again. She wriggled out of Zuko's muscular arms and landed, with relief, on her butt on the ground. Tyr flopped into her lap, startled by the sudden drop, and then scuttled away from her, squeaking in reprimand.

"Death by critter love," Toph deadpanned as well as she could after her embarrassing reaction, "I never would've guessed."

"Hmph," the amber eyed male snorted, with some contempt. "Don't put words into my mouth. I was about to say something serious and relevant... but then you just ruined it."

"My bad," the blind girl replied blandly, clearly uninterested. Her cavalier attitude was nothing new, to be honest, and Zuko was quite used to it by now. However, that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Nevermind," he said, shaking his head and slinging his twin swords onto his back. "I'll just tell you this. Whatever you decide tonight, I'll stand by your side."

"Huh?" Toph frowned, twisting to face his general direction as she felt him start to walk away. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just say, you'll probably be getting some uninvited guests in the evening.." he answered cryptically over his shoulder, his unruly black hair gleaming like shadowy fire in the sunlight.

* * *

><p>Aang, Katara, and Sokka stared in slight awe at the looming, beautifully adorned and gilded front gate of the Bei Fong estate. It glowed imperially, tinted slightly by the pink afternoon sky, as the sunlight slid fluidly across its soft, golden surface designs. The white stone walls on either side stretched for an incredibly long distance, with a dark emerald green tiled roof. If they craned their necks, they could see the leafy tips of large trees rising above the gate on the other side, but not much else.<p>

"Now that," Sokka said, impressed, "is a classic example of_ living in style._"

"Well, those boys did say they were the richest people in town," Katara reasoned, seemingly undaunted as she looked the entrance up and down. She crossed her arms and started to tap her foot, searching her brain for a way to convince the guards to let them in. If they were this well-to-do of a family, they were bound to have high standards of guests or audiences.. They stood there for a few moments in silence, not moving much as they all stared at the structure in front of them. Suddenly, Aang gave a shit-eating grin.

"What are we waiting for?" he chirped, cocking his head to the side and jumping on his heels, his orange and yellow clothes rippling as if there had been a breeze. His gray eyes were bright with excitement. "We can just jump the wall, can't we?"

The female waterbender snapped her fingers. "Good idea, Aang!"

Then, with some special help from the Avatar's airbending skills, the trio chose an inconspicuous piece of wall on the left side and climbed over it, landing in the well kept grass garden on the other side. The inside of the estate was just as beautiful as the outside, with a tasteful sprawling lawn, winding dirt paths, and a large pond. They stealthily checked their surroundings and, seeing no guards at this part of the property, started to tiptoe across the open grass. They had only taken a few steps when the ground beneath them shot up with sudden and unexpected force and sent them flying into a few nearby bushes to land near the feet of an irritated Toph. The Bei Fong heiress glared at them, having felt their intrusion during her walk through the vibrations in the earth.

"What are you doing here, Twinkle Toes?" she asked rudely, addressing the Avatar. "Come back for another beat down?"

"No!" Aang implored, airbending himself into a more comfortable, upright position. "I didn't come to fight. I just wanted to talk."

Toph narrowed her eyes, her voice bold and strong. "Yeah? I haven't got all day, you know. Make it quick."

"Right.. quick" the bald monk-in-training repeated, looking determined. "Alright. I want you! Wait no.. I _need_ you!"

The blind girl nearly fell down in shock, her gray-green eyes widening in disgusted confusion as she tried to process his words. His two friends sighed in exasperation from their places, and the dark skinned Water tribe girl stepped in to clarify.

"I think that was a little too quick, Aang," Katara said, looking a little sympathetically at the small-figured earthbender while laughing nervously.

"O-Oh, sorry," Aang blinked, before plowing on fearlessly. "What I mean is.. okay, we were in a swamp a week ago, and something in the swamp made us hallucinate and stuff. I saw a vision of you, laughing, with a pet flying boar.. and I also saw this man with a blue mask and–"

"I think what he's trying to say is," Katara cut in hurriedly before Toph got too weirded out, sending the boy an apologetic look. "Aang here is the Avatar.. and he's trying to look for someone to teach him earthbending. We think you're supposed to be his teacher, because you are the only one that fits the criteria."

_Ah_, Toph thought with some dread. This was what Zuko was talking about when he mentioned a decision. She gave no outward reaction though, aside from her usual scowl, and tried to dissuade the three.

"What makes you think that only I fit the criteria?" she asked bitingly, standing up straighter in unconscious defiance.

"Well, an earthbending King told us that we needed to find someone who waits and listens before striking. At _Earth Rumble VI_, the only one to do that was you," the Avatar explained, somewhat expectantly. Sure, he was eager to start his elemental training, but he also wanted to get to know someone his own age.. He'd never told Sokka or Katara this, but constantly being with people older than him was kind of tiring after a while. Not that he didn't enjoy their company.

"That sounds unreliable," the Bei Fong heiress commented with a raised eyebrow, sounding skeptical. "You're telling me to leave my family.. my_ life_, for a reason like that?"

"I understand it's a difficult decision," Katara answered gently, her mothering habit taking over. "My brother and I left our home in the South Pole to help Aang, so I know how it feels. And look, if you get homesick or anything.. after you teach Aang earthbending, you can return home. We're not asking you for your whole future.. we just want some of your time and expertise.. and maybe even your friendship." The older girl gave a warm smile as she spoke, a hand over her heart.

Toph didn't respond immediately, finding it difficult to quell the warring emotions inside of her, and simply clenched her pale fists at her sides. There was silence for a long moment, as the trio awaited her answer with bated breath. The blind girl's thoughts went straight to Zuko's words, and they echoed like far away, rumbling thunder inside of her, reawakening old desires of freedom. They were treacherous desires, lurking beneath her mind and entangling their black roots in her heart.. but then she thought of her parents, and what they would say.. Shaking her head vigorously to clear it, she turned partially away from the group, hiding her expression as she spoke.

"Give me some time to think about it," said Toph. Her voice was rough and blunt, and she felt angered by her unconscious and uncontrollable emotions. "You can.. stay as guests for tonight. Just tell my parents that you're traveling with the Avatar." With that said, she abruptly pivoted on her heel and walked purposefully away, leaving them behind in the dust. And she didn't look back.

Aang watched as she headed back to the mansion in the distance, feeling a twinge of something complex and unidentifiable in his gut. The wind whispered of conflict and cages and carried the sent of fresh soil as it swirled around him in a slow, teasing draft.


End file.
